


The Unwilling Omega

by RikuNghts



Series: Karasuno Omegas [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alpha Kuroo Tetsurou, Alpha instincts, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Background Relationships, First Time, Forced Heat, Heats, Knotting, M/M, Omega Tsukishima Kei, Omega Verse, Omegaverse, Scent Marking, Scenting, Scents & Smells, Slow Burn, Tsukki hates being an omega
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-17
Updated: 2018-12-01
Packaged: 2018-12-30 15:45:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 34,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12111990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RikuNghts/pseuds/RikuNghts
Summary: If Tsukishima had to pick one thing he hated the most, more than anything in the world, it was presenting as an omega. Not that there was anything wrong with being an omega, but for Tsukishima, it was the worst. His parents were both betas, and even though his older brother had presented as an omega, and siblings tended to share class traits, everyone thought the younger brother would present as an alpha, or at the very least a beta like his parents.He had most of the traits that had been stereotyped as alpha, and none of the traits of an omega. When he hadn’t had a heat by the time he was fourteen, he figured he was an alpha. When he hadn’t had a rut by the time he was fifteen, he assumed he was beta. He was completely fine with that. He wouldn’t be bothered by heats like his older brother Akiteru and he wouldn’t lose his mind around omegas like the alphas he knew.Yes, being a beta was just fine.And then he started high school at Karasuno.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! I've always wanted to write omegaverse fiction because I read a LOT of it (both fanfics and novels) and so I decided why not? I love the idea of Saltyshima absolutely hating being an omega and all that it entails and completely fighting against the system. Tsukki is my favorite character and I wanted to explore more in a "what if" scenario. 
> 
> Anyway, this will be a multi-chapter piece. I know where it's going, but I have no idea how many chapters it will be, so enjoy the ride!

If Tsukishima had to pick one thing he hated the most, more than anything in the world, it was presenting as an omega. Not that there was anything wrong with being an omega, but for Tsukishima, it was the worst. His parents were both betas, and even though his older brother had presented as an omega, and siblings tended to share class traits, everyone thought the younger brother would present as an alpha, or at the very least a beta like his parents. 

He had most of the traits that had been stereotyped as alpha, and none of the traits of an omega. When he hadn’t had a heat by the time he was fourteen, he figured he was an alpha. When he hadn’t had a rut by the time he was fifteen, he assumed he was beta. He was completely fine with that. He wouldn’t be bothered by heats like his older brother Akiteru and he wouldn’t lose his mind around omegas like the alphas he knew. 

Yes, being a beta was just fine. 

And then he started high school at Karasuno. It was hardly a week after school started when he felt feverish during practice. Even though he was playing, he was sweating more than usual. He stripped off his sweater and tossed it to the side, and every alpha around him - Daichi, Azumane, and Kageyama - reeled back from him. 

“T-Tsukishima-kun,” Sugawara said as he approached carefully. “I think you should go home.” 

“What? I’m fine,” he frowned. He reached down to grab his water and found the bottle empty. Strange. He didn’t remember drinking that much water. 

“Your heat,” Sugawara said gently. “You should get home before you...you know.” 

“My what?” Tsukishima snorted. “I’m a beta. Beta’s don’t have heats.” 

“You’ve never had a heat before?” 

“I said I’m a beta.” 

Sugawara looked at him with something like pity and Tsukishima scowled. He glanced over at the alphas. Kageyama had frozen to his spot with his mouth half open as if scenting him. Daichi’s face was red and his hands were clenched at his sides. Azumane had taken several steps back and had a hand over his nose. He looked ready to bolt. 

“I’ll have Takeda-sensei call your parents to pick you up. You really shouldn’t walk alone like this.” 

Tsukishima watched in horror as Sugawara did just that, and Takeda-sensei ran off to make the call. Yamaguchi had joined him by now and studied him with concern. 

“Tsukki?” 

“It’s some mistake. That’s all. They’re being ridiculous. Tch. I’ll be back tomorrow.” He headed for the clubroom to change and gather his things since there was no arguing with the vice-captain and advisor. 

He wasn’t back the next day. 

An hour after he got home and his mother had all but locked him in his bedroom with water, the first waves of the heat washed over them. Tsukishima had read about it in textbooks and Akiteru had vaguely shared his experiences with him, but he hadn’t thought it would be a literal heat that seemed to consume him from within. 

Groaning, Tsukishima tore his clothes off to try to cool down, but it didn’t work. He turned the AC unit on in his room and cranked it as low as it would go. He lay under it panting. 

A fire burned low in his belly and soon settled in his groin. Even the cool breeze was torture as it caressed his exposed cock. “Fuck,” he swore as another breeze brushed against him. He gripped the base of his cock and nearly cried from the sensitivity. Within just a few short strokes he came in spurts across his stomach. 

It seemed to calm the burning for a moment, but then another sensation took over. 

“What…” He had nearly forgotten about the slick. It hadn’t been there before, but now it dripped down his thighs, coating them in a slippery, hot fluid. The second wave hit him before he could come to terms with this new sensation, and, Tsukishima was lost. 

He had no idea how much time had passed or how many times he had come. His face was streaked with tears and he couldn’t remember the last time he had cried before this. It was frustrating. No matter what he did, he couldn’t quench the burning in his body. Jerking off only relieved it temporarily. Fingers in his ass felt marginally better, but it wasn’t enough either. He needed something more, but he didn’t know what. 

Sometime around noon the next day he got a welcome reprieve. The heat faded enough for him to shower and change his filthy sheets. His mother had to work, but she had left him light foods to eat, and he was surprised to see his brother sitting on the couch. 

“Nii-san,” he said as he skipped the food and went straight for the strawberry shortcake. He was hungry, but some comfort was needed, first. 

“Kei. Mom told me what happened. I uh… I took the day off from work to visit and see how you are.” 

Tsukishima flushed. He felt his face heat up and didn’t need a mirror to know it was as scarlet as his brothers. 

“Look, I know exactly what you’re going through. Mom and Dad don’t. They’re betas. I’ve… well clearly I’ve been through this before. I wish I had someone to help me talk through the first one, but you’ve got me. I just wish I had some sooner.” 

“I’m glad you didn’t. I was…” 

“Yeah, I know. The first waves are rough.” 

“I thought I was a beta.” 

“We all did.” Akiteru stood and joined his brother at the table. “Look, Mom called your doctor and I picked this up for you. It’s heat suppressant. You’ll need to take it every day in the morning, but this should prevent your heats from being so overwhelming. You’ll still get them, but it will keep other omegas in heat and alphas in rut from triggering yours. It should also make them less...debilitating.”

“Thanks. Can I take them now?” 

“Not until it’s over. It would be pointless now.” 

“Okay.” 

“Umm…it’s the same prescription I use. It’s also a, ah...birth control.” 

Tsukishima scowled. “What the hell do I need birth control for?” 

“Because...well, you know. Just in case.” 

“Just in case what?” 

Akiteru flinched. “Look, I know this is awkward Kei. And I guess that’s why Mom and Dad wanted me to come over, too. I know you’re probably not thinking about sex, and that’s fine, but there’s nothing wrong with it. It’s easier to get through a heat if you have an alpha to help you work through it.” 

Tsukishima flushed and stared intently at his cake. He’d lost his appetite. “Do you? Have an…?” 

“Yes,” was all his brother offered. “So it’s important to have that as a backup. Plus...sometimes alphas...young alphas...can’t control themselves. It’s a heat suppressant but it won’t hold it off permanently. It just pushes them back a few months rather than having them monthly. And when you have one… Like I said, young alphas can’t always control themselves.” 

Okay, fine. He’d take the suppressants, but he didn’t need an alpha to help him through the heat. He’d manage it just fine on his own. Even if it was uncomfortable. 

“Wait...if you have an alpha...does that mean you bonded?” 

“No. He hasn’t bitten me. We just spend my heats and his ruts together, that’s all. Plus it offers a sort of um….security?” 

“How so?” 

Akiteru scratched his head and looked up at the ceiling. “When you’re with an alpha they can scent mark you. It’s kind of like a temporary bonding so that other alphas will leave you alone.” 

“And do they? Leave you alone?” 

“Yes. The marking fades after time, so we have to renew it, but it’s not a hassle.” 

Tsukishima finished his cake and brought the plate to the kitchen then sat down with a cup of tea. “I don’t want to rely on some alpha. I can protect myself.” 

“Kei, I know you’re strong. I know you’re not like most omegas, you’re not like me at all, but when you’re in the middle of a heat...it’s hard to fight instincts.” 

“Tch.” 

Akiteru rolled his eyes. “You always were stubborn. I know you’re thinking you can fight instincts, but it’s literally your genes. It’s a biological thing. And don’t tell me you can fight biology. Were you able to keep your hands off yourself?” 

Tsukishima nearly passed out from the rush of blood into his face. 

“Yeah, thought so. If you’re ever in a situation where you’re around alphas and you’re in heat...the temptation is going to be hard to resist. Kei, I would really think about finding an alpha you trust that you can accept marking you. They can help you ride out the heat and keep other alphas from bothering you.” 

“I hate this.” 

“I know. Believe me, I know. You hate that you have to rely on other people. But there’s nothing wrong with it. Take the time. Figure this out. At least think about it.” 

“Do other omegas...find a temporary partner?” 

“Yeah. It’s not talked about a lot, but it’s encouraged.” 

“How is it that I have to do something to keep myself ‘safe?’ Why can’t alphas keep their fucking hands to themselves?” 

“It’s in their nature…” 

“That’s a bullshit excuse.” 

“Kei…” 

He waved his hand as a wave of heat overcame him. “I think my heat is starting again.” 

“Okay. I’ll be here if you need anything. Just… think about it, okay? I’m sure there are guys on your team who have a temporary bond with someone.” 

“I can’t just ask that.” 

“No, probably not, but pay attention to scents. You’ll notice them when you get back, now that you’ve presented. You’ll be able to smell it.” 

Tsukishima sighed and stood. “Thanks for the suppressants.” Without another word he headed to his room to ride out the next wave.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After experiencing his first heat, Tsukishima returns to school to find his change in status has been noticed by everyone. When he finally sees the team after his absence, he notices that some of them have paired up for marking, just like his brother had mentioned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my gosh, everyone! Thank you so much for your comments and kudos! It really inspired me to update faster. Honestly, I was not expecting many people to read this, as it's a bit self-indulgent that I wrote it in the first place, but I'm so happy I did! So, here is another chapter for you, and thanks again for the comments!

The minute Tsukishima stepped into school, the air around him changed. People who hadn’t bothered paying attention him before were suddenly looking his way and whispering. He did his best to keep his usual stoic demeanor in place as he put away his street shoes and slid on his school slippers. He headed to class, took his head, and slid his headphones over his ears to ignore the whispering. Yamaguchi came late to class, so he didn’t have a chance to talk, though Tsukishima did notice him trying to catch his attention. 

He did his best to focus on classes, and, aside from a first double-take from the teacher, he was left in peace once lessons began. 

At lunch, the other students gathered in groups to eat and talk, and Yamaguchi finally approached him. “Do you want to go up to the roof?” 

“Sure,” Tsukishima said, grabbing his lunch and following his friend. 

It was, thankfully, quiet up there with only a few students scattered here and there. The two find a quiet corner and sat to eat. 

“So…” Yamaguchi started, and his face turned scarlet, causing his freckles to nearly disappear. 

“I’d rather not talk about it.” 

“Okay.” 

“I’m still the same person as before.” 

“I know.” 

“Just...with a pain in the ass thing to deal with every so often.” 

“Ah...are you… taking suppressants?” 

“Yes.” 

Yamaguchi nodded, choking on a bite of his food. If it was hard for him to talk about, Tsukishima wanted to die as well. Talking about one’s omega status just wasn’t done, but Yamaguchi had been his best friend forever. And, as much as he didn’t want to admit it, he needed someone in his corner. 

Tsukishima took a cautious sniff to see if he could scent his friend now that they were alone. It was faint, as most betas were, so he couldn’t tell exactly what it was. Still, it was an almost comforting, familiar smell. 

“Can you smell me?” he asked out of the blue and Yamaguchi choked again. Tsukishima hit his back. 

“Why? You showered, right?” 

“No, I mean like, do I have a scent now?” 

Yamaguchi leaned closer and sniffed his clothes. “I don’t smell anything. But I’m a beta so we can’t really do that.” 

“Oh.” He wondered what he smelled like. He hadn’t thought to ask his brother what he smelled like before he had left. And he sure as hell couldn’t ask the alphas on the team. Maybe he could ask Sugawara-san. He was nice enough and, as a senpai and omega, it shouldn’t be too hard to ask. 

Lunch ended and they went back to class. By the end of the school day, most students ignored Tsukishima as the novelty of his newly presented status wore off. He and Yamaguchi made it to the clubroom to change and it was empty, though they could hear Hinata and Kageyama already hitting balls in the gym. 

“Remember, I got your back if anything happens,” Yamaguchi said as they left the clubroom and headed for the gym. 

Only Hinata and Kageyama were still there, and the minute they stepped into the vast room both first years stopped and turned. Hinata stared at him openly and Kageyama’s mouth dropped just a little. 

Tsukishima scowled at them and Hinata bounced on his toes. “You’re an omega, too! Wow! I never would have though you’d be an omega.” 

“Shut up,” Tsukishima said, though he took the opportunity to test his scenting abilities with so few people in the room. He did his best to breathe in discreetly. There were two scents - one alpha, and one omega. Though Hinata’s personality did not fit that of an omega, his short stature certainly did. The sweet scent rolling off him reminded Tsukishima of sugared lemons. It was almost cloying in its intensity and he wondered if Hinata bothered with blockers. 

The other scent was deeper and earthier. Kageyama smelled of rich dirt after a summer rainstorm. The scent was subtler than Hinata’s and not unpleasant. 

“You smell like strawberries!” Hinata practically shouted just as the rest of the team made its appearance at in the gym. Silence descended. 

“Idiot,” Kageyama muttered and picked up a ball. 

Tsukishima glared at him. Well, that solves that question, he thought, though he had hoped for it to be in private. And strawberries? Really? How cliche was that? Though as far as scents went, there could be worse. And strawberries were his favorite fruit. Maybe diet affected an omega’s scent. He’d have to look that up. 

“Welcome back, Tsukishima,” Sugawara said. He had approached quietly and had a pleasant smile. 

“Ah, thank you.” 

This close up he could smell the other omega. He tried not to breathe deeply, but it was obvious that Sugawara was scenting him, too, as if trying to familiarize himself with the newest omega on the team. Sugawara smelled flowery, rather than sweet. There were notes of lavender and something else underlying it, something earthier like Kageyama. When Daichi approached to join their conversation his eyes widened. 

This was what Nii-san was talking about. Sugawara-san has been marked. He glanced between the two of them. Daichi smelled like pine, and that was the scent layered beneath Sugawara’s lavender. 

“How are you feeling?” the captain asked, oblivious to the discomfort Sugawara was clearly feeling. He took a step back. 

“Fine. I can play.” 

“Good. Glad to have you back.” He turned to the rest of the team. “All right, let’s go,” he shouted, clapping his hands to get everyone’s attention. 

Sugawara slid up next to Tsukishima. “It’s...for the sake of convenience,” he said, playing with his fingers. The normally cheerful vice-captain was quiet. “It’s completely-” 

“My brother told me. You don’t have to.” 

He breathed a sigh of relief and slapped Tsukishima on his back. 

While the captain gave the plans for the day, Tsukishima tuned him out to try to make out the new world that had opened for him. He could already identify Hinata, Kageyama, Sugawara, and Daichi. Yamaguchi was a beta, as was Tanaka - which had surprised Tsukishima. He had assumed the boisterous second year would be an alpha, but he was probably making up for that lack by his loud personality. Ennoshita, Kinoshita, and Narita had no detectable scents as betas, but when Nishinoya started to jump up and down in excitement over something - likely a nice breeze blowing through the gym - Tsukishima turned to stare at him in surprise. 

He was an omega, too. 

Like Hinata, his short stature was most commonly associated with omegas, but his outgoing personality was more suited to an alpha. His scent, however, had the sweetness associated with omegas. Nishinoya smelled like ripe peaches with another scent underlying.

Tsukishima jerked his glance to the one remaining alpha in the room. Azumane stared at him openly before dropping his glance to the floor, much like a traditional omega. But ah, there was that scent. If Tsukishima was right, it was mossy, though diluted to a degree. And it was the same scent Nishinoya carried, too. So the two of them were together. 

What his brother had said was true, though he wondered if this was for the sole reason of safety and convenience or something else. 

Would it be improper to ask? Sugawara hadn’t seemed comfortable, but Nishinoya was more outgoing. Maybe he would talk about his decision? 

When Takeda-sensei arrived, Tsukishima was unsurprised to find him to be a beta, nor was it a shock when Ukai-sensei proved to be an alpha with a rich scent of cedarwood. He took one glance at Tsukishima, nodded, and then continued practice. 

It was a relief he didn’t know he was looking for. 

Practice continued without a hitch. He played as he always did, and aside from a few glances from Nishinoya, nothing stood out as unusual. 

When practice was over and all the equipment had been stored, Nishinoya approached. 

“So, omega?” 

“Apparently.” 

“That’s a surprise.” 

“Tch.” 

“Aww, Tsukishima, don’t be like that! We’re the same now! Omegas have to stick together.” 

“We don’t.” 

“Sure we do. We gotta have each other’s backs.” 

“I can watch my own back fine, thank you. Besides, it seems like Azumane-san has yours.” 

Nishinoya laughed and rubbed the back of his head. “Ah, you can smell it, huh? Of course you can. Yeah, it’s just easier. Alphas leave me alone, especially since everyone is already so intimidated by Asahi. Which is crazy because he’s more like an omega than I am.” 

“N-Noya-san!” Azumane protested from somewhere behind them. 

Nishinoya waved a hand in his direction. “Besides, after suffering through a few heats alone, it’s just easier to have someone to work it out with. Shortens the duration, too.” 

“I can manage fine on my own.” 

“Sure, but wouldn’t it be more fun to spend it with someone?” 

“N-Noya-san, please!” 

Tsukishima glared at the libero. “No, it would not. I could think of nothing worse.” 

“Ah, well. Your loss. Besides, on the team there’s only Kageyama left.” 

“I would rather suffer a heat every month alone than...do that…with him.” 

Nishinoya snickered again. “Well, you’ll find someone eventually.” 

“Unlikely.” 

“Sure, sure. That’s what they all say!” 

“Noya-san, let’s go.” Azumane said, his patience wearing thin. How the quiet third year could stand being around the pain in the ass for so long was a mystery. And to mark him? Well, it was just until the end of the year, surely. Once he graduated Nishinoya would have to find someone else to mark him or go it alone like Tsukishima would. 

It was better to get use to this on his own rather than rely on someone. Society needed to get into the twenty-first century. Omegas were perfectly capable of watching out for themselves. The only thing keeping them from being stronger was the outdated notion that omegas were subservient and docile. Look at himself, Nishinoya, and that idiot Hinata. They were anything but subservient and docile. 

No. Tsukishima was going to handle this on his own and to hell with any alpha who thought they could get in his way.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two weeks into being an omega and Tsukishima figured he was going to be one of the lucky ones. Because of his height, most people left him alone as it was. Being an abnormally tall omega made the alphas glance at him a few times, but they kept their distance. 
> 
> In school, anyway. 
> 
> Tsukishima notices a man has begun to follow him, and he takes matters into his own hands. 
> 
> Also, he is concerned with his thoughts and reaches out, reluctantly, to the only omega besides his brother that he can trust.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the comments and kudos everyone! I'm absolutely floored! I never expected this many on the story so soon! I really hope I don't disappoint. Again, this chapter was written faster because of you! I hope you enjoy it! 
> 
> For those waiting for Kuroo, have no fear! Nekoma shows up in the next chapter!

Two weeks into being an omega and Tsukishima figured he was going to be one of the lucky ones. Because of his height, most people left him alone as it was. Being an abnormally tall omega made the alphas glance at him a few times, but they kept their distance. 

In school, anyway. 

After the second week walking home after volleyball practice with Yamaguchi, he noticed an older man following after him. He kept an eye on him as he approached his house, but the man kept his distance. Perhaps it was just a coincidence and he was taking a walk. Tsukishima wasn’t a skittish person. People walking was normal. He locked the gate behind him and then the door to his house and pushed the man out of his mind. 

The next day the man - at least he was sure it was the same man - was back again. This time he had gotten close enough for Tsukishima to smell the alpha scent pouring off him. He reeked of tobacco and he couldn’t be sure if it was from actually smoking or what he naturally smelled like. Either way, he picked up his pace. It wasn’t that he was scared, he could handle himself after all, but fighting in school uniform was discouraged. It could get him in trouble at school, and if he was in trouble at school he’d be suspended from club activities and both his mother and Yamaguchi would be disappointed. Plus his uniform would be dirty, and he’d have to wash it. 

By the third day, however, Tsukishima had enough. At the corner of his road, shortly after parting with Yamaguchi, he noticed the man again and stopped to confront him. 

“What do you want?” He snapped. “Stop following me.” 

“Omega like yourself out walking alone at night. You ought to be more careful.” 

“And you’re about to offer me protection, right? Not interested.” Tsukishima rolled his eyes and turned. He shouldered his bag but kept his headphones off to hear his surroundings more clearly. 

“Hey, I was talking to you.” 

“Mother told me never to talk to strangers,” Tsukishima quipped. His heart raced, though he wasn’t sure why. Was it the omega side of him? He was taller than the man by several centimeters. Though the man certainly had more muscle than he did, he knew he was strong from years of volleyball. 

He didn’t hear the man approach, but the second the hand closed around his arm, he jerked it forward and then swung around with his right arm, his fist closed and connecting with the man’s face. 

When the man dropped to the ground with a curse, Tsukishima sprinted the rest of the way home. 

With the door of his house locked safely behind him, he realized he was shaking. He stared at his hands as if they belonged to someone else. 

No, it was natural to be shaken up after something like that. Even if he was an alpha he would be disturbed. Some older man had just made a pass at him and tried to grab him. Even Daichi would be jumpy after that. 

He had his phone out and was calling his brother before he realized what he was doing. 

“Kei? What’s up?” 

“Ah… I’m not sure why I called to be honest.” 

His brother laughed. “That’s fine. I had been meaning to call you anyway. How is everything going at school? Now that you…?” 

“It’s fine. People leave me alone.” 

“That’s good to hear.” 

“Hey, um...is there any chance that an omega could...you know... do that scent marking thing with a beta?” 

“No. Beta scents aren’t strong enough. Besides, even if they could, an alpha would just ignore it.” 

Tsukishima sighed. “Figures.” 

“Why? Were you thinking of asking Yamaguchi?” 

He was glad his brother wasn’t there to witness his flush. “The thought may have crossed my mind. But it was just a thought. He’s the only person I trust.” 

“No alphas on your team?” 

“I’m pretty sure I told you there were. There’s three but two of them have already marked someone else on the team.” 

“And the other one?” 

“I would rather die.” 

His brother laughed softly. “I see.” 

“No, really. This isn’t one of those romantic things I’m sure you’re thinking about. I can’t stand him, and I really would rather die. If he came near me to mark me I would kick his ass. Not that he would come near me anyway. I’m not sure which one of us hates the other more.” 

“Whatever you say, little brother.” 

“Tch. I don’t know why I called you. I have homework to finish.” 

“Have a good night, Kei.” 

Tsukishima hung up the phone. Just hearing his brother speak had been enough to calm his nerves. Maybe tomorrow after practice he would invite Yamaguchi over. Surely that man wouldn’t be back, and even if he was, he wouldn’t approach with a beta nearby, right?

~~~

“Tsukki, what happened to your hand?” Yamaguchi asked during practice when, for the third time, Tsukishima went to spike a ball and immediately cradled his hand to his chest afterwards. He immediately ran over and tried to take it in his.

“It’s nothing.” 

Sugawara saw the commotion and came over. He wasn’t having it. “Let me see.” 

Tsukishima had no choice but to hold out his hand. Despite icing it the night before, the knuckles were still red and tender, just a little swollen. 

“What did you do?” Sugawara asked, leading him over to Shimizu who was already taking out bandages to wrap his hand. 

“It’s nothing.” 

Sugawara raised an eyebrow. “This isn’t nothing. You hit something.” 

Tsukishima shrugged. 

“Do we need to put you on the bench for now?” 

“If you feel it’s necessary.” He wasn’t going to freak out like Hinata did with the prospect of sitting out a practice. He didn’t want to get into what happened. It would only make the other omega worry, and then others would worry and get in his business, and then there would be more pushing for him to let an alpha mark him, and… No. Not going to happen. 

“Tsukishima.” 

“It’s nothing. I injured my hand. It happens.” 

“You punched something.” He raised an eyebrow to ask how he knew and Sugawara shrugged. “This isn’t the first injured fist I’ve seen.” 

Coach Ukai came over to look at it while Shimizu gently wrapped the bandage around his hand. “Tsukishima, you need to be more careful. No more outbursts to damage your hands. We have training camp coming up, and we’ll need you there.”

“It won’t happen again.” 

And it wouldn’t. That man wouldn’t approach him after that. He may be an unattached omega, but he would clearly fight back. There were easier options out there. 

That thought startled him and he glanced at Hinata, who was asking Kageyama for another toss. He might not like the loud red-head, but he was a teammate, and he did travel far for school, alone. What would happen if he was approached by an alpha? Hinata was physically much smaller than most people, and definitely smaller than alpha’s that would approach him. Would he be able to fight someone off? 

_You don’t need to worry about him,_ he thought. _Worry about yourself. I’m sure Hinata can handle himself just fine. Besides, he’s fast and he rides a bike._

Despite his mental argument, Tsukishima couldn’t help but watch Hinata throughout practice. 

His sweet sugared lemon scent would attract alphas. Though he had a rivalry with Kageyama, he wondered if it would make sense for Kageyama to mark him. It would give Hinata protection, and the two of them spent enough time playing together anyway, so it made sense. 

He shook his head. What the hell was he thinking? He didn’t need to worry about Hinata. He _certainly_ didn’t need to be thinking about marks and scents. This was getting ridiculous. Did one’s brain composition begin to change when they presented? He scowled at the floor. 

“You’ll be back out there tomorrow so long as you don’t re-injure your hand,” Takeda sensei said gently, misinterpreting his foul mood. 

“Yes,” Tsukishima said simply. The less everyone knew about his inner turmoil, the better. 

When practice ended, he made a snap decision. “Sugawara-san. Can I talk to you for a minute?” Yamaguchi paused next to him and glanced up questioningly. “Go ahead and change. I’ll just be a minute.” 

Yamaguchi nodded and headed up to the clubroom. “What is it?” Sugawara asked when they were alone. 

How to word this? He cleared his throat. “When you presented as omega...did you...start to think different things?” 

“Like what?” 

“I don’t know. Just...did your way of thinking change?” 

Sugawara frowned. “No? I’m not sure what you mean.” 

Tsukishima sighed. This was harder than he thought. “I mean did you start thinking things in terms of being omega?” 

Sugawara continued to frown for a moment before his face softened and he smiled faintly. “Ah. I see. Well, yes and no. I mean, I was more aware of things like my status, and it certainly factored more into my decisions, but it didn’t really change my way of thinking. Not on a chemical level like I think you mean?” 

“So it doesn’t...this won’t change who I am?” 

“No. Being omega is just a part of you now. It won’t change your personality. I am who I was before I presented. Same with Nishinoya. He presented before high school and I heard he’s even more energetic now than he was then. If you can believe it.” Well, that was a relief. “And you’ve seen Hinata. Kageyama knew him in middle school. He’s the same now as he was then. Being omega does have some biological changes, yeah, but your personality won’t change if you don’t let it. You might be more aware of things, but it won’t change your core being.” Sugawara hesitated. “Your parents…?”

“Betas. Both.” 

“I have a book that helped me.” He held up his hands when Tsukishima snorted. “It’s not one of those ‘Your Changing Bodies and You’ things. It just...it helped me understand a bit about what it means to be omega. Maybe it’ll help you, maybe not. But I can let you loan it.” 

“Okay. Thanks.” It probably wouldn’t help, but what was the harm in reading it?


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Sugawara loans Tsukishima a book, he discovers exactly what is going on with him to cause his concern for Hinata, and he learns more about omegas than he was taught in class. When Nishinoya and Asahi are absent from a practice, Hinata makes a discovery which he, unfortunately, announces to the team. Tsukishima attempts to shut him up. On the way home from practice he runs into a familiar face who has brought a friend along this time...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I'm SO SORRY but Kuroo doesn't show up in this chapter. I got a little carried away with other things that needed to be set up. However, he will definitely be in the next chapter because that's when the Nekoma practice match is. 
> 
> Also, this chapter has a bit of the biology/genetics that I'm using in my version of the Omegaverse. A few things are a little different, but not much. I just wanted a chance to explain a few things that may be presented differently in other stories. 
> 
> Thank you ALL for the kudos and comments! I never expected so many! They make me so happy to see!

Sugawara did bring the book for Tsukishima. He discreetly slipped it into his bag after practice and made his way home. 

No one bothered him this time. He didn’t see anyone unusual on his walk, and he was back in his house before he knew it. 

“I’m home,” he announced to his mother, who was finishing dinner in the kitchen. 

“Welcome home, Kei-kun. How was practice?” 

“It was fine. Do I have time to start homework?” 

“Dinner will be ready in five minutes.” 

“Okay. Then I’ll wash up.” 

Setting his bag in his room, he cleaned up in the bathroom before joining his parents at the dinner table. 

“How is your hand feeling?” his father asked. 

“It’s fine.” 

“Did you still place?” 

“I sat out a bit. It’ll be fine tomorrow.” 

It felt wrong to lie to his parents, but they would just worry unnecessarily about him. He could handle the situation himself. He wasn’t a defenseless omega like others. Maybe if he was smaller he would be more worried, but this was fine. 

After dinner he returned to his room and completed his homework for the evening. After bathing, he settled into bed to read the book Sugawara had loaned him. 

It wasn’t particularly long, and some of the information was already familiar to him, so he skipped the parts that had been covered in science classes at school. There were biological changes that happened to his body, sure. He had heats now that drove his body to reproduce. During heats his body produced a slick fluid that eased the passage for an alpha. He flushed as he read that. It wasn’t something he particularly wanted to think about. Sure, he was sixteen and he thought of sex sometimes, what normal teenage guy didn’t, but the thought of his body wanting to _carry_ a child? No. No thanks. Not for him. 

Beyond the complex biological changes, there were hormonal changes as well. This was what Tsukishima was most interested in. According to the book, though his personality would stay the same, omegas were more susceptible to hormones. These changes could be triggered by stress, the heats of other omegas, or an alpha in rut. Stress would often elevate the flight or fight response. While an alpha would often choose to fight, an omega more commonly chose flight. It also triggered a section of the brain that would seek to alert other omegas to possible danger. Scientists believed it had evolved as a survival mechanism to cope with the fighting between alphas. By alerting others to a possible dangerous situation, it also lowered the risk of being claimed by an unwanted alpha, which allowed for the survival of superior alpha genes. 

_Ah, so that’s why I was so concerned with Hinata. That makes sense now._ Tsukishima was content with that explanation. He also found it fascinating that omegas would band together. As he continued to read, he saw something that gave him pause. 

“Contrary to popular opinion, due in part to religion and modern politics, omegas are powerful in their own rights. They have nurturing capabilities that alphas lack, and they are able to work well together in large groups, unlike alphas who are frequently territorial. Omegas are able to diffuse situations where tensions run high and they can put troubled minds at ease. As such, they thrive in many occupations where understanding of human emotions is required. However, despite this, some see omegas as weaker and have disincluded them from the many careers in which they would thrive.” 

Okay, so that part didn’t sound like him. It definitely sounded like Sugawara, however. And maybe a bit like Hinata and Nishinoya. Tsukishima would much rather be alone. 

“It has been hypothesized that the reason for this religious and political shift in thinking is due in part to a typical omegas quieter, more sensitive nature. Though this not a trait all omegas contain, it did cause those in power to view them as susceptible to their hormonal changes, much as it was once viewed that women were unable to lead.” 

Tsukishima rolled his eyes and scanned the rest of the book until he came to a section toward the end about the physical needs of the omega. According to the book, as omegas grew older, they required more frequent physical contact. This contact stimulated hormone production that enabled them to function on an even level. Just as many alphas needed to find an outlet for their natural aggression, omegas needed to find a source of comfort. 

“Well,” Tsukishima said out loud as he closed the book. “That is definitely not me.” Sure, his brother did seem to seek out contact more when he was home and would often reach to hug his parents or brother, and sometimes the hugs lingered, but Tsukishima had always pushed away from hugs. He didn’t enjoy the physical contact and he felt confined when trapped in someone’s arms. 

With his curiosity sated, Tsukishima put the book away and fell asleep.

~~~

“Thanks for loaning me the book,” Tsukishima said as he slid it from his bag and handed it to Sugawara while they were alone in the clubroom.

The vice-captain looked surprised. “You finished it already?” 

“Yes. I was only looking for certain information. But...it helped.”

Sugawara smiled. “Good! I’m glad.” He reached out a hand and touched his arm. “I know it’s hard to talk about this stuff but...if you ever need to…” 

“Thank you.” 

Practice that day went fine. Tsukishima’s hand had healed and after being checked over by Coach Ukai, he went in to practice blocking, spikes, and receives. 

After practice, Takeda-sensei called them over excited. “I have great news. Nekoma from Tokyo is coming to play a practice match. Their coach, Nekomata-sensei agreed. This is great news for us! Several years ago Karasuno and Nekoma had a friendly rivalry, and we’re looking to rebuild.” 

“When will they be coming?” 

“Next weekend. So we have another week to practice before they come down. With any luck, this will help us establish relationships with other teams so we can have more practice matches. 

Hinata started jumping up and down, screaming in excitement and Kageyama whacked him to get him to stop. The two started fighting, again, and Sugawara stepped in to quiet them. 

Tsukishima was about to walk away to help clean when Nishinoya approached their coach. He couldn’t help but overhear him explain that he wouldn’t be at practice the next day. Coach Ukai nodded and waved him off, looking vaguely uncomfortable. When Tsukishima looked at Asahi, the Ace’s face was scarlet. 

Ah. His heat. 

Sure enough, the following day Nishinoya wasn’t at practice, and neither was Asahi. Hinata seemed surprised that both would be missing, and Tsukishima wondered if the red-head hadn’t received the same talk he had. Maybe as the oldest child he wouldn’t get it. And if both his parents were betas, they might not know or maybe were uncomfortable with it. 

When they returned the next day, Tsukishima was surprised. So Nii-san had been right. It really did shorten the length of the heat. 

Still. He didn’t need an alpha just to make a heat shorter. He could deal with an extra twenty-four to forty-eight hours. It would be a pain to make up the school work and miss practice, but it was better than having to rely on someone other than himself. 

Besides. With the suppressants it would only come every three or four months. 

As Nishinoya passed by him, he breathed and caught the strength of Asahi’s scent on him. He looked oblivious, but again when Tsukishima glanced at Asahi, the shy alpha rubbed the back of his head and looked away. 

Hinata was not so discreet. 

“Whoa! Noya-san, you smell like Asahi-san!” Hinata all but shouted. “Do you spend a lot of time together after school? Oh! He must have brought you something when you were out sick! Tsukishima!” Hinata yelled when he grabbed him by the back of the shirt and pulled him away. 

Nishinoya grinned sheepishly and his cheeks were pink, but Asahi looked as if the Earth had opened and was about the swallow him. Daichi and Sugawara were trying to comfort him. 

“Let me go!” 

“Shut up, idiot,” Tsukishima said. “You can’t go around yelling about people’s scents.” 

“What? Why not? I didn’t mean anything by it.” 

“Just stop. What he smells like is not something you need to shout about. If people can smell it, that’s enough.” 

“Huh? I don’t get it.” 

“Just mind your own business.” 

Practice continued after without a hitch. Asahi seemed to have recovered well enough, and if spiked a ball a little harder than normal well...it was probably just a coincidence.

~~~

“See you tomorrow, Tsukki!” Yamaguchi called as he turned down his street. Tsukishima waved and watched him go for a moment before making his way to his own house. He was halfway down his street when a familiar figure appeared in front of him from someone’s recessed gate.

“Tch. You again,” he murmured to himself as he stared down the alpha. 

“Omegas should learn their place,” the man said. “You obviously weren’t taught right if you dare raise your hand to an alpha.” 

Tsukishima knew he probably wasn’t the best idea to laugh, but he couldn’t help it. “What are you, some B-movie villain?” Tsukishima curled his hands loosely into fists as he walked forward. He wasn’t about to turn tail and run to Yamaguchi. He had no choice but to go forward. Crossing the street wasn’t an option either. If the man wanted to grab him, then so be it. He would be ready and he would put him on the ground just like last time. 

He was surprised, however, when footsteps sounded behind him. He turned, expecting to see Yamaguchi but frowning when another alpha approached. He didn’t need to scent him to know; it was evident in the way he carried himself. 

“Wow. You need two alphas to take on a sixteen year old omega? Are you sure you aren’t betas?” Probably not a smart choice, but he couldn’t seem to keep his mouth shut. 

“You bastard. You’re going to learn your place in this world.” 

Tsukishima saw the first fist coming for him, and he dodged it. He brought up his arm to block another fist and pushed it to the side. Unfortunately his bag swung around and the moment through him off. One of the fists connected with his cheek and knocked his glasses off. 

_Please don’t break,_ he managed to think as they clattered somewhere onto the sidewalk. 

Even with the disadvantage of having lost his glasses, Tsukishima still stood taller than the two alphas by several centimeters. He used that height to his advantage. When he saw a fist coming again, he grabbed it by the wrist, pushed and twisted. A yelp of pain followed and the man dropped to the ground in surprise. 

Two hands connected with the back of his jacket and he let himself be jerked backwards. His head snapped back and connected with the man behind him. Stars flashed before his eyes from the force of the blow, but there was a satisfying crack as he connected and another howl. 

Breathing heavily he twisted around to defend himself. The man held his gushing nose with both hands. 

“Leave me the fuck alone,” Tsukishima hissed. He squinted and spotted the dark frames of his glasses pushed off to the side. He picked then up and put them on, relieved they were uninjured. 

Tsukishima left the two men on the ground and finally made it home. 

Before the door had even been locked behind him, his mother was standing in front of him, a greeting frozen on her lips. 

“Kei...what happened? Are you okay? Look at your face! Who did this?” She cried. It brought his father into the hallway. 

“It’s not a big deal.” 

“Yes, it is. Who did this?” 

“I’d rather not talk about it.” 

“Tsukishima Kei, answer your mother,” his father snapped. 

“Two alphas. They’re worse than me. I broke a nose.” 

“Oh Kei…” 

“I’m calling the police.” 

“Father, please. Don’t bother. They won’t bother me again. I don’t want to deal with the police, really.” 

“Someone needs to report this! What if they harass someone else?” 

Thoughts of Hinata being accosted by the same men made his heart race. 

In the end his father did call the police. They came, took the description of the men, and instructed Tsukishima to walk home with someone for the time being. His mother assured him that he would and went off to call Yamaguchi’s mother. 

The cop was an alpha, claimed judging by the mark around his scent glands, and he looked down at where Tsukishima sat. “Now that your mother is out of the room, I can say this. I think it would be wise for you to let an alpha mark you, at least temporarily.”

“I’m not going to be marked,” Tsukishima said with a glare. “I don’t need protection like that. I’m not some weakling.” 

“What are you talking about?” his father asked. 

Tsukishima didn’t want to listen. He stood and excused himself from the room. His appetite was gone but he still had homework to deal with. When he got to his room he found messages on his cell phone. 

**Yamaguchi: Tsukki! Mom told me what happened you okay?**

Tsukishima sighed and typed out a quick response. 

**Fine. See you tomorrow.**

**Yamaguchi: I’ll come get you in the morning!**

Of course he would. Tsukishima shut down his phone and plugged in the charger. On second thought, homework could wait. He needed a bath. 

One look in the mirror and he scowled. A dark bruise was already forming on his cheek. There was no way he could explain this away to the team.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tsukishima can't hide the fallout from his attack from his teammates. Concerned, they try to come up with a solution. Sugawara seems to have the perfect work around that keeps Tsukishima and Hinata safe without either of them needing to be scent-marked by an alpha. As bruises fade and things start to return to normal, the practice match with Nekoma comes up. 
> 
> Why, Tsukishima wonders, are none of the omegas from Tokyo marked by an alpha?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I couldn't leave it without Kuroo showing up. So here he is! The first match with Nekoma. It's a brief interaction, but at least they've met and it will set things up for the training camp arc, which is where I start to diverge a bit from canon (as if Omegaverse isn't already canon divergent...) 
> 
> Enjoy! Thanks for enjoying Badass!Tsukki!

The next morning the bruise had darkened on his face. When Tsukishima opened the door for Yamaguchi, his friend’s face fell to horror. 

“Tsukki…”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” 

That was the good thing about his friendship with Yamaguchi. When he said he didn’t want to talk about something, he usually dropped the subject. 

They made their way to school silently, and changed shoes to go to their classroom. Students whispered as soon as they saw Tsukishima, but he put his headphones on until class started to block them out. Lunch was much of the same and he disappeared with Yamaguchi to the roof to hide from it. 

He wasn’t looking forward to explaining this during practice, but the final bell rang all too soon, and he was in the clubroom changing before he knew it. 

Entering the gym with Yamaguchi he tried to keep his head down. Kageyama and Hinata were the only ones there, and they had already set up and were practicing, so they were too absorbed to notice. That changed, however, when the upperclassmen arrived. 

“Tsukki...what happened?” Sugawara asked, concern radiating across his face. He approached cautiously and reached out to touch his cheek, but Tsukishima jerked back. 

“Nothing.” 

“That’s not nothing,” Daichi said. He stood next to Sugawara, his arms crossed. “Did you get into a fight?” 

“It was more self defense,” Yamaguchi said.

“Yamaguchi!” Tsukishima snapped. His friend straightened up and stiffened his shoulders. 

“They need to know, Tsukki.” He turned to Daichi and the others who had gathered around. “On his way home last night, after we split off, two alphas went after him. He’d run into one of them before, but this time he came back with another.” 

“Did you call the police?” 

“My parents did. Look, it’s fine. It’s over. I don’t want to talk about it. Can we just get on with practice?” 

“Tsukishima, this is serious. It could have been worse.” 

“But it wasn’t. I can handle it,” he spat. “I’m not some weak omega who needs someone to protect him. How many times do I have to say it?” He turned on his heel and stormed out of the gym. 

“Tsukki!” Yamaguchi called, but he didn’t follow. 

Tsukishima went to the clubroom and sat on a low bench. He didn’t want this. He didn’t ask to be an omega. He just wanted to live his life in peace and to hell with everyone else. Why grown men thought it was acceptable to go after a younger omega was absolutely beyond him. He clenched his fists. The right one ached, but not as bad as the first time he had punched the guy. The back of his head throbbed a little, but it was fine. His face, on the other hand. 

“Tsukishima.” 

“No.” 

Sugawara sighed and shut the door behind him. He approached slowly and took a seat. Even though Tsukishima hated casual contact, when the vice-captain pressed their sides together, he felt something in him loosen up. He slumped forward. 

“No one said you’re weak, Tsukishima. No one believes that.” 

“Everyone keeps telling me what I need to do.” 

“It’s for your safety.” 

“I can handle myself.” 

“Everyone knows you can. Everyone knows you’d fight back. But what happens if next time there are more alphas? Or you’re farther from home? Alphas tend not to give up when they want something. It’s one of their traits. Good or bad, take it as you will.” 

“So what am I supposed to do? Let this incident dictate how I live my life? Make me afraid of my own shadow?” 

“Of course not. But you need to take precautions.” 

Tsukishima snorted. “Like what? Let an alpha mark me?” 

“It would deter the others. If you smell like another alpha, they will back off. Most don’t want to get in a pissing contest with another alpha over an omega that’s already been marked. Unmarked? That’s another story.”

“There are three alphas on this team. Two have already marked someone, and I am not sleeping with Kageyama and letting him mark me.”

“Okay, but there must be someone in your grade.” At the look he gave Sugawara, the omega backed off and held up his hands. “In the school, then? I can ask Daichi if he knows of any-” 

“Absolutely not. I’m not going to do that with some random alpha just to carry his scent around.” He looked pointedly at Sugawara. “Would you have let anyone other than Daichi-san scent mark you?” 

Sugawara turned scarlet and looked at the floor. _Thought not._ “Ah…I guess it is pretty intimate.” Suddenly Sugawara brightened. “I have an idea. You and Asahi are the same size. Mostly. You’re a little taller and thinner, but the jackets are a little bigger. What if you trade jerseys? You can wear his and it will carry his scent for the day, and then he can wear yours, and you can just trade back and forth.” 

Tsukishima raised an eyebrow. “And you think he would be okay with that?” 

“Well...we’d have to ask. And make sure it was okay with Nishinoya. But if you don’t want the alternative.” 

As much as Tsukishima wanted to say no, it did make some degree of sense. It also kept him away from the other option which was never going to happen. 

“I’ll think about it.” 

“That’s all I ask.” 

The two returned to the gym and resumed practice. After, they approached Asahi and Nishinoya. Asahi turned scarlet and deferred to Nishinoya, who smacked Tsukishima on the arm and laughed, saying it was just a jersey, of course they could trade! With that out of the way, Sugawara approached Kageyama and Hinata. As Tsukishima shrugged the ace’s jersey on and was enveloped in his scent, he saw the other first years shrug and trade jerseys. It was almost comical. Kageyama’s jersey hung off Hinata, and Hinata’s jersey was too short on Kageyama. He had to leave it open and push the sleeves up to make it fit. At one point, Hinata started flapping the sleeves like he was a crow and Kageyama yelled and hit the back of his head. 

Some things would never change.

~~~

There was almost an immediate shift after trading jerseys with Asahi. Students in school glanced at him but then would go about their business. When he went out shopping with his mother and insisted on wearing his volleyball jersey, most alphas ignored him. The few that didn’t would scent him quickly and then keep walking.

It was a relief. 

Soon the incident was all but forgotten and Tsukishima’s bruise was fading. By the time the weekend came with Nekoma arriving for their practice match, it was a light yellowish green on his face and could easily pass as a volleyball he missed. 

Tsukishima mostly kept to himself while the teams met. He sat on the sidelines for parts of the first game and watched their interactions, taking note of anyone that stood out until he was switched in. Along with the betas, they had two alphas and two omegas on the team. Both liberos were omegas, and the captain as well as their #7 were alphas. Tsukishima found himself trying to determine their scents whenever he had a chance to pass by them, and was surprised to find the omegas had not been scent-marked. 

Was Tokyo that different? Did the higher population allow for more safety with omegas? Tsukishima frowned. It caught the attention of the captain who faced him from the other side of the net. 

He was tall with messy black hair, and his scent was a pleasing sandalwood. Tsukishima had always been drawn to that scent in his own home, and he was momentarily distracted by it when he saw him move for the ball. Tsukishima jumped just in time to block it. 

He had to stay focused. 

The game ended. It was close, by Karasuno lost to Nekoma. Tsukishima was tired and frustrated, but it was to be expected. He turned to grab his water bottle when Hinata screamed for another game. 

“Tch,” he sighed as both coaches agreed. 

Karasuno ended up losing two more games to Nekoma, and everyone but Hinata was exhausted by the end. Tsukishima hated the feeling of the sweat pouring down his face, and by now the gym stank of alpha pheromones. It was overwhelming to say the least, and he wasn’t the only omega affected by it. 

Tsukishima watched his teammates interact with Nekoma. Hinata was bouncing up and down in excitement with the alpha middle blocker Inuoka, yelling about “boom!” this and “wham!” that. 

“What the heck are they talking about?” he muttered to himself. 

“They don’t sound like they’re in high school, do they?” Tsukishima hadn’t realized Nekoma’s captain had sidled up alongside him. That sandalwood scent engulfed him and he did his best not to inhale too deeply. He had a lazy look in his eyes and a sly smirk. “But you on the other hand, maybe you should loosen up more, like a real high schooler.” 

Tsukishima closed his eyes, annoyed at the familiarity with which he spoke. “I’m not good at that sort of thing,” he said before walking off. 

He thought he heard a muttered, “Ah, youth,” from behind him as he stalked off. 

After Nekoma had left with promises for more practice matches, Sugawara approached him, as he always did now after practice. 

“The omegas on Nekoma...none of them are marked.” 

“Tokyo is very different from Miyagi…”

“So they don’t get harassed?” 

“I don’t know whether they do or not, but I guess they chose not to be marked.” 

“And yet here people are pushing me to accept an alpha.” 

Sugawara shrugged. “Perhaps it's easier to be an omega in more metropolitan areas.”

“Tch.” 

If the omegas in Tokyo weren’t going to be scent-marked by an alpha, then hell if Tsukishima was. They were all smaller than him. He would get by on his own. 

“Ah! Tsukishima, wait for me!” Yamaguchi called. He handed him Asahi’s jersey. “You almost forgot this.” 

Well, he would get by on his own...with a little help from Yamaguchi.


	6. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karasuno is invited to the training camp in Tokyo with Nekoma and three other teams. Tsukishima is interested in seeing how the omegas of Tokyo survive around alphas, and he's disconcerted to find so many alphas on two of the teams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I'm so sorry for the huge delay in updates. School kicked my butt, however it's over now! I'm officially done and I have so much more free time on my hands. I plan on updating at least once a week, if not more, but I can't guarantee it all the time. For now, here is chapter six. I also have started chapter seven, and in my unannounced hiatus I wrote the chapter where Tsukki and Kuroo get together. So that is coming up very soon, and I promise it's hot. And dirty. You know, if you like that sort of thing. This chapter isn't as long, but the heat chapter is definitely a doozy. 
> 
> Please enjoy!

The practice match with Nekoma had done wonders for the team, and soon Tsukishima learned they were invited to practice with four teams from Tokyo, Nekoma included. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that, exactly. It was volleyball, and it would take him away from home for the weekend. He supposed it wasn’t so bad, but he couldn’t see why Hinata was jumping all over the place. He probably wanted to see that other strange guy, that alpha, who had acted just like him. 

 

Actually, thinking about the members of the team, Tsukishima thought maybe it would be an interesting way to gather some information on the lives of omegas in Tokyo. After all, neither of the Nekoma omega members were marked by either of the alphas. Big cities must be something else all together. 

 

They left early in the morning. Though they would only be in Tokyo for two days, Takeda-sensei and Coach Ukai hoped that, if things went well, they’d be invited back for more practice matches in the near future. Apparently these matches were a regular occurrence between the Tokyo teams. 

 

Again, Tsukishima wasn’t sure how he felt about that. But at least this bus ride would be quiet, with Hinata and Kageyama staying back for supplementary exams. 

 

There were three new teams to meet that weekend. At first it was interesting to see the others players from Fukurodani, Shinzen, and Ubugawa. They were all such different teams, and Tsukishima wondered how they could even compare. Yamaguchi must have wondered, too, as he stared at the Fukurodani captain and ace as he hooted. 

 

“I feel...out of place.” 

 

Tsukishima didn’t want to agree that he felt the same way. He just shrugged. 

 

Glancing over at Nekoma’s team he found their captain watching him. He huffed and was about to turn away when a new member stood up, towering over the others.    
  
“Ne, Tsukki, I don’t remember him, do you?”    
  
“No. He must be new.”    
  
“I think he’s taller than you.” 

 

It certainly seemed that way. 

 

When Kuroo introduced him to the astounded Karasuno, the player, Lev was his name, smiled and rubbed the back of his head. Then he pointedly sniffed the air and turned in Tsukishima’s direction.   
  
“Ah! That tall guy on your team is omega?” He blinked in surprise and Tsukishima scowled at him. Figures he would be an alpha. “Yaku-san!” he called over his shoulder. “Look! Omegas can be tall! Why aren’t you taller?”   
  
The short libero came out of nowhere, his foot connecting with the giant and sending him straight to his knees. The rest of Nekoma laughed, their captain loudest of all with the most obnoxious, barking laugh he’d ever heard.   
  
“Some people have no tact,” Tsukishima muttered, turned to remove his black jersey for his practice one. As he glanced around he noticed members from the other teams staring at him.   
  
_Great_ , he thought. _Just what I need. Alphas to deal with._   
  
The practice matches started, and Tsukishima played his best. He also used his new senses to try to narrow down who, exactly, he was dealing with. Not that knowing the scents of others helped in volleyball, but he liked to be prepared, especially after everything that had happened before. He would know who to avoid and who was safer.    
  
Fukurodani had, surprisingly, just one alpha, but two omegas. The captain, the loud one with the owl-like hair was, unsurprisingly, the alpha. The omegas were the libero and the setter, the one that seemed to have a quiet grace around him and a strange beauty that even Tsukishima was drawn to. 

 

Shinzen, on the other hand, had two alphas, their captain and a first year, and not a single omega. Even their smaller libero was only a beta, based on his lack of a scent.  _ Unless _ , Tsukishima thought,  _ he turns out like me _ . He wouldn’t wish that hell on anyone. 

 

The hardest team for Tsukishima to handle was Ubugawa. Their team stank of alpha pheromones, each one nearly overpowering the other. Four of them, and not a single omega. Once Hinata and Kageyama arrived, even Hinata backed off once during his first game with them, momentarily stunned by their overpowering combined scent, but he rallied and played his best.    
  
They lost, of course.    
  
Tsukishima was glad his brother had given him those heat suppressants. He tried to ignore the eyes that lingered on his back as he left the court for the final time that day and followed Yamaguchi to their rooms.    
  
“I’m so tired,” Yamaguchi said, stretching his arms.    
  


“We’ll be going home tomorrow.”    
  
“After we play more games.”    
  


“We’ll lose,” Tsukishima said, matter-of-factly. Their team needed to pull it together. Things were off. Not that he cared. But it was embarrassing to see them play like this if he had to be part of it. 

 

After their entire team had bathed and settled in for the night, Hinata spoke up from his futon. “I don’t like playing Ubugawa,” he admitted in an uncharacteristic display. “There are too many alphas on that team.” 

 

“Our team has nearly as many, idiot,” Kageyama pointed out.    
  
“But there are no omegas to balance it out,” Sugawara said calmly, flipping onto his stomach from his place by Daichi to look at the group. “Omegas naturally calm the aggression of alphas. Even just one on a team would lower their…” 

 

“Their power?” Yamaguchi asked. 

 

“No, they’d still be excellent players. They just wouldn’t…” he searched for the word and Tsukishima snorted. 

 

“They just wouldn’t stink so bad.” 

 

“T-Tsukki!” Yamaguchi stuttered. 

 

“That’s not the way I would have said it, but basically, yes,” Sugawara replied. “An omega can diffuse the strength of alpha pheromones. Make them less overbearing.” 

 

Nishinoya sat cross-legged on his own futon next to Tanaka. “Not even their libero is an omega. Shinzen, either. No omegas.” 

 

“But only two alphas, so they aren’t as bad,” Sugawara added.

 

“We should get some sleep. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow, and I’d like to win at least one match,” Daichi said. His word was final. Ennoshita turned out the lights and everyone settled in to sleep. Hinata and Kageyama muttered to themselves, and Tsukishima tried to ignore. He slipped his headphones over his head and turned on his music to block everyone else out. 

 

~~~

The next day they played better than before. Hinata and Kageyama seemed off their stride, but the rest of the team played well. After lunch, it was time for the team to return to Miyagi. Coach Ukai and Takeda sensei were thrilled when they were invited to return the next week for a week long training camp. It appeared they had met the requirements, even if their team had hardly won a game. 

 

Thankfully the trip home was quiet and Tsukishima was left alone in his seat next to Yamaguchi He fell asleep with his headphones on and only woke up when they pulled onto the school grounds. 

 

There was a brief meeting with the team, half of whom were asleep, and then they were free to head home.    
  
Yamaguchi walked with him silently, keeping by his side until they had reached his front door. 

 

“See you tomorrow, Tsukki!” 

 

“Yeah. Tomorrow.” He waved and slipped inside to the delicious scents of dinner. 

 

“ _ Tadaima _ ,” he announced, sliding off his shoes. 

 

“ _ Okaeri,  _ Kei-kun. How was the training camp?” 

 

“It was okay. We got invited back for a week long camp.” 

 

“That’s exciting! Were the other teams good?” 

 

Tsukishima didn’t find the prospect of a week with those teams and all the alphas exciting, so he shrugged. “They were better than us.” 

 

“You’ll just have to work harder.” 

 

“Tch.” 

 

Dinner chatter was mostly between his mother and father, with him occasionally answering questions about camp. When he was finished, he excused himself and went up to his room to unpack his bags. His uniform needed to be washed, and he was desperate for a bath himself. 

 

After rinsing off, he sank into the hot water, his long legs scrunched up and his knees poking out of the water as he thought about the next camp. How would he be able to stand being around so many alphas? After hours of playing, the pheromones were nearly overwhelming and he’d seen how affected by it Hinata was. He had been, too, if he was honest with himself. He’d just tried to hide its effects. Nishinoya at one point had grabbed Azumane-san’s jersey and draped it over his head. Perhaps the scent of his alpha was strong enough to block out the others. He didn’t recall Sugawara showing anything resembling disgust until after they were back in their rooms.    
  
Ah, well. He would be fine. His next heat wasn’t due for another month or two if his brother and Sugawara’s instructions had been correct. As long as he kept taking the heat suppressants he would be fine. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karasuno attend the summer training camp in Tokyo and Tsukishima and the other omegas struggle with the overpowering alpha pheromones that flood the gyms. When Tsukishima decided to skip out on free practice, he's unwittingly dragged into practice by two captains, including one with a scent he can't get out of his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still here! This takes place during the training camp at Shinzen. I've expanded the time frame a bit, so this chapter is canon compliant and has some text from the show, but next chapter diverges. Also, the eighth chapter is written and will be posted very shortly. I just need to add a little more upfront to tie into this chapter. And it's basically pure smut, so there's your warning ahead of time. 
> 
> Enjoy!

The next week of their summer break passed quickly enough, and Tsukishima found himself back on the bus to Tokyo. This time the trip was louder, with both Hinata and Kageyama present. He quickly turned on his headphones and tried to get more sleep. Yamaguchi sat beside him, his head already lolling onto his shoulder.    
  
When they pulled up to the school, Hinata raced to be the first off the bus. Most of Nekoma seemed to be outside waiting for them, and the redhead had a fresh burst of energy when he saw the setter he had befriended.    
  
Tsukishima did his best to ignore it, leaving his headphones on, though silenced, as he took in the green grounds of Shinzen. It was hotter than Miyagi, but a breeze filtered through the trees and cooled them down. 

 

After greetings had been made, Tsukishima grabbed his bags under Coach Ukai’s directions, and they were led to their room for the next week. Kiyoko and Yachi were dragged off by the other teams female managers and brought to the room all the girls would be sharing, further off and separated from the boys rooms by the teachers. 

 

It wasn’t long before they were changed into their practice jerseys and in the gym with the other four teams. Practices would go much the same as last time, with one team sitting out per round. Losing teams would do sprints up the hill outside the gym this time. Tsukishima wasn’t thrilled, considering they would likely be doing sprints every single game, but at least they’d have a chance to sit out every few rotations, and with constantly switching team members, others would play more. 

 

During the first game against Fukurodani, Tsukishima watched as Hinata and Kageyama messed up their usually easy quicks. The entire team, actually, wasn’t even in sync. They tried to practice a synchronized attack and failed. Nishinoya tried to practice his libero toss and failed. It was frustrating to watch both on and of the court. When Tsukishima failed to block the captain of Fukurodani he sighed and walked off the court for their sprints. He didn’t throw himself into it like everyone else, but he did run hard. It was just too hot. 

 

Yachi handed out their water bottles and Tsukishima casually drank from it, and then went back to their games. 

 

At the end of the day, they hadn’t won a single game. He was exhausted. Everyone else seemed eager to get more practice in, but Tsukishima just wanted to wash up and sleep.    
  
“Tsukki!” Yamaguchi called from the doorway of the gym. “I want to practice serves. Do you want to-” 

 

He cut him off. “I’m going to take a bath and go to bed.” 

 

He didn’t have to look at him to know his best friend was crushed. “Oh. I see.” There was a pause before he went on. “I was wondering… are you going to practice anything on your own?” 

 

It was a stupid question, really. “We’ve already been practicing more than anyone wants. It’s not going to solve everything.” He walked out before he could hear Yamaguchi’s response. 

 

The night air was cooler on his skin away from the heated gym and the lingering alpha pheromones. The day had been long and the mingling scents were cloying. It was enough to drive an omega crazy. Why weren’t alphas in sports required to use scent blockers? He wondered if it should be mandatory. As he walked back to the dorms, he heard someone calling out to him. 

 

“Megane-kun! Can you jump some blocks for us?” It was the captain of Nekoma standing next to the captain of Fukurodani in the third gym. 

 

“Sorry, I’m done for the night.” 

 

“What?! There’s no point in practicing spikes without a blocker! Come on!” the captain of Fukurodani urged.    
  
“Why does it have to be me? Why not someone from your own team?” 

 

The omega setter from Fukurodani stepped forward to intervene. “Bokuto-san doesn’t know when to stop, so everyone disappeared.” 

 

Nekoma’s captain pointed a finger at their newest player who was sprawled on the ground. “I’m busy getting him in shape.” 

 

Tsukishima tried to listen to what they were saying to him, but he was distracted by the sandalwood wafting off the captain. He said something about the other being one of the top five spikers in the country as if that would change Tsukishima’s mind. 

 

When he turned those sly eyes on him, however, taunting him into practicing as a middle blocker, Tsukishima couldn’t back down. He gritted his teeth and approached the gym. Here, at least, the alpha pheromones were faint. 

 

He learned their names quickly as they played. Kuroo worked with Lev while Tsukishima jumped blocks for Bokuto with Akaashi setting to him. Spike after spike he missed. He tried to read the movements and jumped, but Bokuto would shift at the last second and change direction, sometimes using the angle of Tsukishima’s own hands to keep keep the ball in. Tsukishima lost track of time and how many blocks he had jumped when he stopped and leaned over, gasping for breath. He was ready to quit when Kuroo stepped up next to him. 

 

“How about two?” 

 

Bokuto had limitless energy. He grabbed a ball and tossed it to Akaashi as Tsukishima stood up and stood next to Kuroo. 

 

Kuroo whispered instructions to him as they waited for the ball. “Megane-kun, keep that straight in check.” 

 

Tsukishima wanted to correct him on his name, but the ball was coming. They jumped together and at the last second, Kuroo shifted his hands and blocked the ball. They landed with Kuroo cheering and Bokuto swearing in frustration. 

 

“You know Megane-kun, you’re great at reading attacks, but your blocks are pretty weak. Your arms are so frail that I’m scared I’m gonna break them. You need to stop the ball like you mean it!” 

 

Tsukishima narrowed his eyes. It wasn’t the first time his thin frame had been called into question, but why it irked him so much at this moment he didn’t know. He tried to deflect, channeling his anger into something he hoped was lighter. “I’m still growing! I’ve just started gaining muscle and getting taller.” 

 

“Ahh, but omegas don’t usually have the muscle mass that alphas do,” Akaashi said quietly from the side. “Even if we are taller.” 

 

Kuroo ignored both of them. “Tall like that, and the little shrimp is gonna hog all the glory. You guys are the same position, right?”  

 

Being compared to the shorter, obnoxious first year stung, but Tsukishima tried to brush it off like he didn’t care. “It can’t be helped. The difference in natural talent between us is too great.”

 

Bokuto, Kuroo, and Akaashi stared at him, but the other members of Nekoma chose that moment to arrive, causing a ruckus. 

 

“Well, it looks like I’ll be in the way, so excuse me.” He turned to leave and Kuroo called out to him, but he ignored it and left the gym. 

 

The cool evening air felt great against his skin again as he contemplated a bath and sleep. He was almost to their room when he realized he’d forgotten his knee pads back in the first gym. With a sigh he turned to retrieve them. 

 

The other members of his team were still practicing. Even their team managers stuck around to help when they could have been resting with the other managers.    
  
_ This is just a club, _ Tsukishima thought as he watched from the sidelines. Everyone looked exhausted, but they kept pushing themselves. He watched as Yamaguchi practiced his serves.  _ Why do you put so much into it? It’s because you put so much into it that you suffer later.  _ He recalled his brother falling apart when Tsukishima had found out he’d lied about being a regular on Karasuno’s team. 

 

He wasn’t like that, and he never would be. What was the point? 

 

~~~

 

The next morning, Tsukishima noted, rather gratefully though he wouldn’t admit it, that the omegas on his team seemed to gravitate towards sitting together. The calm scents soothed him and helped him settle for what was going to be another day of inhaling rank, competitive alpha pheromones. When Nishinoya approached with a tray overflowing with food and told him he needed to eat more, he couldn’t help but banter with the upperclassman. It was familiar and set him at ease, even if he did grab at his glasses and nearly break them. 

 

He supposed there really was something to omegas being in groups and it having a calming effect. Not that he would admit it, but he did open his mouth a little to let Nishinoya’s scent fill his lungs. The ripe peaches put him at ease. 

 

The day went as predicted: without any wins. It was hot and they kept running up the hill. There was a brief relief when the parents of Shinzen dropped off watermelons, but after eating one, Tsukishima left the group to cool off alone. 

 

He needed time to himself. The gym, once again, reeked, but the outside air was free and clear. He had to get the stench out of his senses. For some reason it was making him feel strange, like his head was in a fog. How the others were handling it he didn’t know. Maybe he could ask Sugawara when they were back in their rooms. 

 

After the break they played more games and lost. Towards the end of the day, the team was staggering down the hill in exhaustion.  Tsukishima and Yamaguchi had fallen behind, but Azumane was waiting for them with their water bottles. 

 

The shade of the building was cool as they gulped down their water. Tsukishima tried not to pay attention to the conversation as their senpai praises Yamaguchi for his improvement, but what Kuroo has said the night before bothered him. 

 

“Doesn’t it bother you, Azumane-san?”

“What?”

 

“That feeling of intense talent creeping up on you?” 

 

His response was as expected from the Ace, but Tsukishima still wondered how he would deal with everything. It was all getting overwhelming if he was honest. 

 

For the rest of the day he watched as Azumane gathered himself and broke through the wall that had been in front of him. 

 

After the final game, everyone split off for more free practice. Bokuto called to him, asking him to block again, but he refused. Hinata confronted him on refusing the Ace, but Tsukishima was exhausted. He hasn’t been feel right all day and to have the shrimp harassing him at this hour, after a day of losing match after match, he couldn’t deal with it. 

 

“Unlike you, I don’t have endless stamina,” he managed as he walked away. 

 

The air outside had finally cooled and it felt so good against his heated skin and his aching muscles. Everyone was working so hard, but it was just a club. He thought back to his brother and how hard he’d worked before he presented as an omega, and then after once he was in high school. He shook his head to get the memories out of his head. Tsukishima had idolized Akiteru, but it had been a lie. He had lied about being the Ace and being a regular. It was around that time he became friends with Yamaguchi. 

 

Whatever. He was determined to get more rest tonight, but fate was apparently throwing a wrench in his plans once again. 

 

“Tsukki!” The scream startled him and he stopped to listen to his best friend. 

 

“What?” he asked as Yamaguchi doubled over to catch his breath. 

 

“Tsukki, you were always able to do anything while being cool and smart, so I’ve always been jealous. But you’re being lame lately, Tsukki!” 

 

The words from his normally laidback friend were a punch in the gut, but Yamaguchi wasn’t finished. 

 

“Hinata might become the Little Giant someday. That just means you have to beat him, Tsukki! You just need to come an even better player than Hinata and prove your skills! You have the height, brains, and instinct, so why do you decide that getting any better is impossible?” 

 

“Even if I became the best player at Karasuno and we made it to Nationals, what then? There’s always someone better and you’re going to lose somewhere. You all know that, so how can you keep going?” 

 

For the first time in their friendship, Yamaguchi grabbed his shirt and jerked him forward. “What else do you need besides pride?!”

 

As startled as he was, he smiled. Yamaguchi had grown and he was suddenly much cooler. To think this day had come. 

 

“To think this day would come. When did you become so cool. You’re actually cool. But I can’t accept that.” 

 

He turned to leave despite Yamaguchi’s protests. He needed to find Kuroo and Bokuto. 

 

Predictably they were in the third gym, and when he stepped into the door the froze and gaped before grinning and mimicking each other in their surprise. Akaashi was the only one to look disinterested. 

 

“There’s something I’d like to ask you. May I?” Tsukishima asked. Both captains parroted each other with “sure!” 

 

Without hesitation he launched into his question, asking about the status of their powerhouse schools and their chance at Nationals. It pissed off Kuroo and Bokuto, but Akaashi was the voice of reason, especially when they got sidetracked by some misunderstanding Bokuto had. 

 

When Bokuto asked if volleyball was fun, and he replied that it wasn’t, his suggestion that he wasn’t good went straight to his gut. But Bokuto related his experience of finally discovering when volleyball became fun for him and suggested it would be the same for Tsukishima. 

 

With the question answered, he was going to leave, but the captains had other plans for him as they dragged him into blocking practice. 

 

By the end of the night he was exhausted, but Kuroo’s advice repeated in his head. _Hands out, not up, strength in his fingers_. He would put that into play tomorrow and see how it worked. 

 

The walk back to the dorms was a silent, solitary affair, but he was bathed in the scent of Kuroo from having been so close to him all night, and strangely, it made him feel relaxed. Before heading to the baths, he inhaled deeply, committing that please sandalwood to memory. It remained there even after he'd bathed and changed into clean clothes. 

 

“Tsukki,” Yamaguchi said from his bed as he came back from bathing. 

 

“I’m fine,” he said, quickly settling into his futon and turning into his side. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to talk to Yamaguchi. He was just exhausted from the free practice blocking with Kuroo and Bokuto. Maybe he felt a little warmer than usual, but the weather had grown hotter. He was fine. He just needed sleep. 

 


	8. Chapter Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tsukishima didn’t need to look at the faces of the other alphas to know that his heat was fast approaching, even though he hadn’t been expecting it for another month or two. After feeling the initial sensations that morning, and realizing in hindsight that the heat he’d felt last night had been part of it, he had hoped it would hold off and wouldn’t arrive until training camp was over, but there were only so many suppressants he could take.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HERE IT IS. The long-awaited heat chapter. It is the longest chapter by far and I'm pretty pleased with it. If you are uncomfortable with explicit sexual situations, skip this chapter. Or stop reading after the first break. Because it's filthy. 
> 
> Enjoy!

The next morning, Tsukishima knew he was in trouble. The more he played, the more the uncomfortable feeling of heat - as if he had a fever - started to creep into his body. He did well for as long as he could, ignoring his body as he recalled Kuroo’s advice and put the his arms ahead of him instead of straight up, and his strength in his fingertips. He’d managed to trip up Bokuto as he changed his straight to a lighter hit that still went in but was unusual for the ace. 

 

Tsukishima didn’t need to look at the faces of the other alphas to know that his heat was fast approaching, even though he hadn’t been expecting it for another month or two. After feeling the initial sensations that morning, and realizing in hindsight that  the heat he’d felt last night had been part of it, he had hoped it would hold off and wouldn’t arrive until training camp was over, but there were only so many suppressants he could take. 

 

There were several ways this situation could play out. There were three days left of the training camp after today. The duration of the heat would be shorter with the suppressants, but this was his first heat since he started taking them, and he had no idea just  _ how much _ shorter it would be. It was coming too soon, too. His brother had told him every three or four months, and yet here it was. Maybe it wouldn’t be shorter this first time after the suppressants. He wanted to continue playing, especially since he had gotten help from Kuroo, Bokuto, and Akaashi, and he could see the effects of his blocking practice. 

 

If Tsukishima rode out the heat alone in some sort of solitary room apart from the others and near the teachers - no matter how humiliating that would be - he may not make it back to practicing before they had to leave. 

 

On the other hand, he could be lucky and the heat would be short-lived and he would be back in two days, with one day left for practice. His body would be weaker, but he would still be able to support the team. 

 

Those were two possibilities, though he had no way to control which one it would be if he decided to ride it out alone. 

 

Tsukishima was not oblivious to the advances several of the alphas from the other teams had made, and he didn’t know just how in control of themselves they would be with an omega in heat nearby, especially if none of them had scent-marked another. Would he be safe? He probably would be. But if someone approached him, would he be able to turn them down while in the grip of his heat? He remembered that first heat and how desperate for relief he had become. He might not even recognize the person who approached him. His brother had even mentioned the possibility. He shivered at the thought of one of the lesser-known alphas from Ubugawa or Shinzen getting to him. 

 

He could also tell the teachers, and he was sure Takeda sensei, as a beta, would rent a car to drive him home so that he would be away from everyone. He didn’t want to do that. It would be even more humiliating than going into heat in front of everyone. 

 

That really left him one other choice, and even that could go one of two ways. He could select an alpha and ask for him to help him through his heat. The alpha could say yes or no, and that would leave him with whatever fate threw his way. If he said yes, great. Problem solved. If he said no...back to the drawing board. 

 

When he thought about it, there was only one alpha he trusted to help him. Tsukishima recalled the dark, messy hair and sly grin on his face. But he had also helped Tsukishima become stronger. He found out that morning that he had even approached Daichi to apologize for what he’d said a few days before.

 

He could respect Kuroo. And he did smell good. Tsukishima wouldn’t mind being marked by that scent. It would also get the other alphas to back off for the remainder of the training camp. 

 

By the end of practice, while seated at dinner, Tsukishima had made up his mind. This was a good idea. The best solution. Tsukishima nodded to himself as he finished his food, oblivious to what Yamaguchi was saying. He was still in his right frame of mind and he had thought this out. He had some time to spare before the inevitable. If Kuroo agreed, they would spend the night together, Tsukishima’s heat would be shortened, and he would carry Kuroo’s scent until it faded, keeping the alphas here and in Miyagi off his back. 

 

“Tsukki? Are you alright?” 

 

“Yes,” he answered shortly and stood to remove his tray. Sugawara and Yamaguchi stood to follow him. Nishinoya looked like he was about to get up as well, but Asahi had put a hand on his shoulder and shook his head. Small miracles, he supposed. 

 

“Where are you going?” 

 

“To find Kuroo-san.” 

 

“I don’t think you should be practicing right now. I think it would best if-” 

 

“It’s not for practice.” 

 

“What?” Yamaguchi asked while Sugawara said a quiet, “oh.” 

 

Tsukishima left the two of them standing there and made his way to the third gym where he knew the captains from Nekoma and Fukurodani would be practicing with select teammates after having eaten their dinner. 

 

The sound of Bokuto hooting and Akaashi trying to calm him could be heard some distance away. Tsukishima had to force his feet forward as nerves set in. 

 

He could do this. It was necessary this _ one _ time. If he didn’t do it, so many things could go wrong. Besides, he made his choice carefully. He trusted Kuroo. And if Kuroo said no...well he could always have Takeda sensei lock him in the infirmary since at this point driving back to Miyagi wasn’t going to happen. He didn’t exactly relish the idea of getting off in front of a teacher. 

 

Tsukishima stopped at the door of gymnasium. It didn’t take long for the others to notice him. He was sure his scent was even stronger now. 

 

“Tsukki,” Bokuto choked out, making a move to cover his face, eyes comically wide, even for him. Akaashi moved to stand next to him, maybe to help block out the sweet scent pouring from his scent glands. 

 

“Kuroo-san. Can I speak to you?” 

 

Kuroo visibly swallowed then grinned and tossed the ball to Akaashi. “Sure.” 

 

Tsukishima stepped away from the door into the cooler night air. Sweat beaded on his upper lip and he wiped it carefully. Time was running out. 

 

“What’s up?” 

 

“My heat is coming,” he said, figuring it was best to get this out as quickly as possible. “I...my options are limited. If I don’t do anything about it, I won’t be practicing for the rest of the camp,” he said. He tried to maintain eye contact.  _ How the hell did Sugawara and Nishinoya do this? I should have asked _ . “I need your help. Please. Kuroo-san, I trust you.” 

 

“Trust me? For what?” 

 

Tsukishima took a deep breath and let it out. Sandalwood filtered into his senses and he relaxed. “Can you help me through my heat?” 

 

Kuroo froze. He looked stunned. For once that sly grin was wiped completely from his face. 

 

“You...what?” 

 

“If you don’t want to, I understand. It’s your choice, obviously. I just… of all the alphas here, you’re the one I trust the most.” 

 

“Wow, Tsukki, that’s...I’m flattered.” He rubbed the back of his neck and glanced into the gym. 

 

“Oh.” 

 

“No, it’s not that I don’t want to. I just...I ah, I’ve never done this before.” 

 

“Neither have I.” 

 

“Do you still want me…? I mean did you think I had some experience or…?” 

 

“No. That doesn’t matter. It’s just… it’s instinct, right?” 

 

“Sure, right. I um…let me tell Bokuto that I’m taking off for the night. Do you know where the infirmary is?” 

 

“Yes.” 

 

“I think there is best. It’s further from the rooms. They’re usually pretty comfortable.”  

 

Tsukishima nodded. “I’ll meet you there.” 

 

He turned and forced himself to walk away calmly even though his heart was racing. He had done it. He’d asked, and Kuroo had agreed, and now he could take care of this heat. 

 

He ran into Sugawara on the way. 

 

“Tsukishima.” 

 

“Kuroo agreed to help me.” 

 

“Are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, one of us can sit with you through it. I’m on suppressants. Your heat won’t affect me. Yamaguchi could...” 

 

Thinking of Yamaguchi seeing him like that, or even Sugawara… “No. Hasn’t everyone been telling me to find an alpha anyway? This works out. It’s convenient. The heat will be shorter, he’ll scent mark me, and I’ll be left alone for awhile.” 

 

Sugawara sighed. “Daichi-” 

 

“Please don’t tell him. Or coach or sensei. Tell them I’m not feeling well.” 

 

“You want me to lie?” 

 

“It’s not a lie. I’m not feeling well.” 

 

Sugawara narrowed his eyes. “Coach knows you’re going into heat.” 

 

“Then he’ll understand. And I’ll deal with the fallout when I come back. I need to do this.” 

 

“I’ll do my best,” he finally said. “And you’re sure?” 

 

“Positive.” 

 

Sugawara sighed. “All right.”    
  
“How did you ask? Daichi, I mean? Asking Kuroo-san was...awkward.”    
  
“It always is, asking someone to help you through something so intimate. I don’t remember how I asked. Not really. I think I just kind of blurted it out. I was pretty far gone, though, and Daichi was at my house.”    
  
“Had you planned on asking him?” A bead of sweat trickled down the side of his face.    
  
“Eventually, yes. I just hadn’t gotten up the nerve to do it.” 

 

The heat flared and Tsukishima swiped at his forehead. Slick was starting to wet his thighs and he backed away. “I have to go.” 

 

“Wait. You need to be careful. Don’t let him bite the scent glands on your neck.” 

 

“I know,” Tsukishima snapped. “I remember that much.” 

 

“I know you know, but sometimes it’s hard to remember in the heat of the moment, and alphas want to bite something. It’s instinct. You can cover the back of our neck with your wrist and if he bites you there, it’ll be fine. You’ll have a mark for awhile, but you won’t be bonded at all.” 

 

Actually, that was good to know, Tsukishima thought as he raised his shirt to soak the sweat from his face.    
  
“I know this is coming earlier than it should. You’re new to suppressants and being around this many alphas for so long probably triggered it. The good news is that it will be shorter since it’s a forced heat, especially with an alpha to help you.” 

 

“This has happened to you before?” 

 

“Once, yes. It won’t take the place of your regular heat, it’s kind of a false alarm, but your body doesn’t know that right now. Just be careful,” Sugawara said.

 

Tsukishima nodded and disappeared around the corner. 

 

~~~

 

The infirmary was comfortable enough, with sheets that were slightly scratchy on the beds. Tsukishima stripped off his clothes immediately and turned the AC on as cold as it would go in the room. It wasn’t much, but it made things a little more tolerable for the moment. He chose the bed the furthest from the door, closed the curtain, and crawled onto it, already panting. Slick slid down his thighs and he groaned in disgust. 

 

Forever seemed to pass and Tsukishima was sure Kuroo had backed out. He moaned through the first orgasm and had barely gotten rest when the heat flared again. 

 

“Please,” he choked out to no one, desperate already. His own fingers slipped through the slick fluid on his thighs and he pushed into himself. It wasn’t enough. It never would be enough. If Kuroo wasn’t going to come, then he--

 

The door slid open and sandalwood washed over him. “Kuroo-san,” Tsukishima cried out, writhing on the bed. “Please.” He was too far gone to be embarrassed. Maybe when it was over he wouldn’t be able to look him in the face, but right now, he was all he needed. 

 

“Tsukki...fuck,” Kuroo swore. The door clicked as the lock was twisted and footsteps crossed the room. He stood at the side of the bed, looking down at Tsukishima with his eyes wide and pupils blown. His scent intensified and Tsukishima reached up and grabbed his shirt. 

 

Kuroo allowed himself to be pulled down, and their lips crashed together. Tsukishima moaned into the kiss - his first one, some distant part of his mind noted - and he thrust his hips up against Kuroo. The rough clothing was painful but it was still friction. 

 

“Wait, wait. Give me a second,” Kuroo panted, pulled back enough to put some distance between them. He stripped out of his clothes and left them on the floor before joining Tsukishima on the narrow bed. 

 

It was perfect. Kuroo’s body was hot, but they slid together in tandem as Tsukishima desperately tried to get himself off again. Kuroo reached between their bodies and gripped both of their cocks in one hand. It didn’t take much for Tsukishima to get off a second time. 

 

The heat dimmed momentarily and he took a deep breath. Kuroo looked down at him in amazement, his lips bright red from Tsukishima’s attack. 

 

“I want you to scent mark me. But don’t-” 

 

“I won’t bite, I promise,” Kuroo said. 

 

“I’m on suppressants with a birth control.” 

 

“Got it,” Kuroo growled. 

 

Despite never having done this, instincts took over. Tsukishima let his body react to Kuroo and just let go. 

 

He was turned onto his stomach and he pushed up onto his knees. He felt Kuroo move behind him, and then the blunt, hot head of his cock was pushing into him. He moaned and tried to stifle it in the pillow. It felt  _ perfect _ . It was exactly what his body needed, and he thrust back. An answering moan met him. Large hands rested on a hip and his lower back, trying to still him, but Tsukishima wasn’t having any of it. He wanted more, and he was going to get it until this damn heat was gone. 

 

They moved in sync with Kuroo sliding from his body and pushing back in. Tsukishima wanted to cry each time he pulled out, but the satisfaction when he pushed back home was enough to make it tolerable. The hand on his back slid up his spine and pushed him roughly into the pillow by the back of his head. He loved it. Being pinned down by the alpha - by Kuroo - as he relentlessly claimed his body. 

 

Kuroo swore and his hips started to falter in their movements. He gripped Tsukishima’s hair and pulled him up. Tsukishima had to push up on his arms to reach, and Kuroo leaned forward. He licked and sucked lightly on the scent glands in Tsukishima’s neck, then ducked forward and rubbed his own against them. Instinctively Tsukishima arched his back and tossed his head onto Kuroo’s shoulder. Their glands rubbed together and their commingled scents burst in the room. It shouldn’t have smelled so good, but it did. 

 

Tsukishima had no idea something like that could feel so amazing, and the sensation was enough to throw Tsukishima over the edge and he cried out. Kuroo stilled behind him and he felt heat flood his body. 

 

“Knot?” Kuroo asked, and Tsukishima nodded as best he could, shoving himself back onto the base of Kuroo’s cock as it expanded. 

 

It was just what he needed and he came again as their bodies locked together. 

 

They collapsed together on the bed, with Kuroo trying not to crush Tsukishima under him. 

 

“Are you okay?” Kuroo panted, nuzzling against the back of his neck, his nose pressing into his glands. 

 

“Yes.” Tsukishima said. The heat had faded to the background and he closed his eyes lazily. “Yes,” he said again. He was surrounded by sandalwood and all he wanted was sleep. He should probably get some while he could. 

 

“Is that it, or…?” 

 

“There will be more. It’s satisfied for now, I think.”  

 

Kuroo chuckled and waited until his knot receded, then pulled out from Tsukishima. He tried to flop next to him but the small bed made it awkward. Instead he gathered Tsukishima in his arms. 

 

He wanted to fight against the affectionate move, but he felt too good. Instead he pillowed his head on Kuroo’s chest and let sleep claim him. 

 

~~~

 

Tsukishima lost count how many times he woke up panting for Kuroo. On the third time, Kuroo was straining, his teeth gritted. “Tsukki...fuck...I need to bite down.” His voice was rough and Tsukishima remembered what Sugawara had said. He braced himself on a shoulder and twisted enough to press his wrist against the back of his neck.    
  
“Go ahead,” he answered, gasping for air. He’d barely gotten the words out when teeth sank into his skin. It hurt like hell, but it also sparked something deeper inside him than before and his brain momentarily switched off. Instinct told him to move his hand and let Kuroo really claim him, to complete the bond. It took every ounce of sanity to keep his arm in place and not move it as their bodies were once again locked together. 

 

Kuroo groaned and licked at the wound he had caused. “Fuck, that was too much. Too intense.” His voice had gone hoarse. “I wanted… I don’t know what I wanted. I don’t know what came over me.” 

 

“Me neither,” Tsukishima admitted as they lay in their own fluids. 

 

As they collapsed together, Kuroo spooning him from behind and tucking around him the best he could despite Tsukishima's equally tall frame, the captain of Nekoma ran a hand down his hip. “You’re too skinny, Tsukki. You need to eat more.” 

 

“Tch,” was all he could get out before sleep claimed him. 

 

By the early morning hours, when everyone would be getting up and getting ready to go to breakfast, and making their way to practice, the heat broke. 

 

He could feel the relief in his body as the ache disappeared and was replaced with a sense of contentment and exhaustion. 

 

“Are you sure?” Kuroo asked. His hair was even messier than usual, and he looked like he had seen better days. He was pale, too. 

 

“Yes. Thank you,” Tsukishima said, his body sore as he sat up. No wonder Nishinoya and Azumane-san had been out for an extra day, even if the heat had broken before that. The sheets were a disaster and he would have to throw them away. There was no way he was leaving this mess behind to be washed even if no one would know who it was. “I mean it,” he added when Kuroo had pulled on his clothes. “If you hadn’t said yes...I don’t know what I… well I would have just gone through it alone. I still would be.” 

 

“Umm...it was intense,” Kuroo said with a laugh and rubbed at his head. “I don’t think I really realized just what omegas go through.” 

 

“Your sacrifice was appreciated,” Tsukishima quipped sarcastically and Kuroo laughed harder. 

 

“Hardly a sacrifice,” he said with a wink. He took a step forward and leaned down to scent him deeply, and then briefly nuzzled at the glands on his neck. Tsukishima closed his eyes, Kuroo’s own so close to him, and breathed in deeply. “I enjoyed it. I’ll see you at practice?” 

 

“Eventually.” Tsukishima tried to fight the flush rising in his cheeks as Kuroo left the infirmary. Tsukishima laid down. He would rest a little longer before going out to find his teammates. And he desperately needed a shower. He was sure even betas would be able to smell the sex still pouring off his body. 

 

But as first times went, even with the heat making it necessary, it had been good. He glanced at the bite marks on his wrist that Sugawara had promised would fade and wondered, in passing, what would have changed if Kuroo had really claimed him and they had bonded. 

 

What would it feel like to be so attached to someone? Would distance make it difficult? Would he have to be scent-marked all the time, or would it really be a permanent thing? How did that work, exactly? 

 

Ah, well. It didn’t matter. This was a one off thing just to get him through training camp. Tsukishima had taken a gamble and it paid off.  

Tsukishima didn’t have to wait until lunch. Much to his horror, Takeda-sensei found him less than half an hour later. Instead of looking angry, though, he looked mortified.    
  


“Ts-Tsukishima-kun,” he started as he entered the room.    
  
He was glad he was a beta and not an alpha or omega, because the room had to still reek with their pheromones. “Sensei.” He was so relieved he had gotten dressed after Kuroo had left. 

 

“What have you done?” 

 

Tsukishima pushed himself up and put his glasses on. So much for more sleep. “I did what I had to do, sensei. I’m okay now.” He had to know what went on between the other team members. Nishinoya and Azumane-san had been through a heat recently. Coach Ukai  _ definitely  _ knew. Besides, wasn’t this for the best? What everyone wanted?    
  
Ignoring the stuttering of his teacher he left the infirmary. He was parched and starving. He could hear raucous calls from down the hall as he approached the cafeteria. He heard Hinata yell and Bokuto-san hooting. As he entered the room, realizing he hadn’t done much to clean himself up, omegas and alphas alike looked up. The betas did, too, but went back to their food without a second glance. Except for Yamaguchi, of course.    
  
The next few moments were interesting, if not annoying. The alphas from his team quickly averted their eyes. Nishinoya grinned and Hinata was about to say something when Sugawara clamped a hand over his mouth. Bokuto merely grinned at him and nudged Akaashi. The alphas from Shinzen and Ubugawa stared the longest, then jerked their heads towards Kuroo, who smirked at them and went back to his food.    
  
It was interesting. He didn’t even need to see Kuroo to know he was there. He could just  _ feel _ it. Like he took up more space than anyone else. He made a note to ask Sugawara about that when they had a moment of privacy.    
  
“Ah! Kuroo-san! Why does Tsuki-gwah!” Lev had stood and was pointing when Yaku tackled him to the floor and shut him up fast. Tsukishima tried to fight the color he felt rising in his skin.    
  
The coaches, thankfully, were nowhere to be found. He would get a few more moments of peace. 

 

As he got his food, a little more than usual, and plenty of water and juice, Yamaguchi slid over to make room for him. He sat down and glanced at his teammates as they surreptitiously glanced at him over there own food.    
  
“Tsukishima,” Hinata started, but he stopped. “No, never mind.”    
  
“Guess you won’t need Asahi’s jacket anymore,” Nishinoya all but crowed.    
  


“N-Noya-san!” the alpha whispered, his face darker red than anyone’s. 

 

“Are you okay?” Yamaguchi whispered as everything around them settled down. 

 

“Yes. I’m fine.” 

 

Yamaguchi shifted uncomfortably and Tsukishima knew he wanted to ask about it. He figured he wouldn’t, but when Yamaguchi leaned in close and whispered, “how was it?” he flushed. 

 

When he looked up he saw Kuroo staring at the two of them, and he flushed. “Good. It was good.” 

 

“Yamaguchi, you might want to back up a bit,” Sugawara said quietly from a few seats down. 

 

“What? Why?” 

 

“Alpha instinct,” Daichi said, his face red. “It’s ah… a thing we go through after. Even if we don’t… claim.” He glanced at Tsukishima. “It’ll pass. It’s just triggered immediately after a heat.” 

 

“What is?”

 

“The urge to be super protective of your omega,” Nishinoya smirked. “You should see Asahi after my heats.” 

 

Asahi turned scarlet and wobbled in his seat. “N-Noya-san! Please don’t say these things.” 

 

“What? Tsukishima has to know about it. Kuroo might be weird around him today, and everyone else needs to know to just keep their distance.” 

 

Tsukishima sighed. Great. Just perfect. He didn’t want an overprotective alpha hovering around. He’d just have to wait and see how this played out. 


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuroo and Tsukishima talk after spending the night together, and Tsukishima learns the hard way that his actions are not accepted by his coach.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for your comments! I greatly appreciate them! I apologize this chapter is coming a little later and that it's shorter than I wanted it to be. I changed my mind about how things were going to happen and had to scrap a lot of it. I realized things don't always work out the way we (Tsukishima) plans and that his actions have consequences. So. There's that! Enjoy!

“I thought you were going to get more rest,” Kuroo said, catching up with him after breakfast while the teams made their way to the gym. 

 

“Takeda-sensei found me. I felt it best to get out of there as quickly as possible.”    
  
“Are you feeling all right?” Kuroo reached out and brushed a hand against his arm just briefly, and sandalwood burst over him like a cool wash. 

 

“I’m fine.” 

 

“You should really shower,” Kuroo said, glancing around. “You still smell like us.” 

 

“Well I’m going to smell like you anyway, right? That was the point of marking me.” He did blush at what it implied, though, and how the alpha coaches would know exactly what they’d done. That embarrassed him more than the rest of the teams finding out. Oh well. It was natural, and other students did it, too. So Tsukishima wasn’t any different from them in that matter. He’d just...done it at school. 

 

“Still, at lunch, maybe you should just take a quick shower.” 

 

“Tch. Why are you getting so worked up about this?” 

 

Kuroo had the decency to look baffled as he scratched the back of his head. “Honestly? I don’t know. Part of me feels this urge to parade you around and shove you in the faces of all the other alphas and tell them to fuck off, and another part of me wants to keep you hidden away. I’ve...um...never felt this way. It’s strange. I mean, I know biology really well, and I’ve studied this so I get the logistics of what’s happening, but it’s an unsettling feeling to have when it’s happening to you for the first time. I’m trying to fight the urge to do it and consider how you would feel about it. It’s not like we bonded or anything.” 

 

Tsukishima ignored the last part of his statement as a weird bubbling feeling hit his chest.  _ Nope. Stop that. _ “You study biology?” 

 

Kuro grinned widely. “I’m an expert.” When Tsukishima rolled his eyes, he protested. “No, really! I like the sciences! Biology, Chemistry. I even know the actual term for DHA is docosahexaenoic acid and I could tell you what its good for.” 

 

“Okay, I get it.” 

 

“So...your heat really is over?” Kuroo asked, eyeing him from the side as they stopped outside of the gym. Instead, Tsukishima could hear the others gathering on courts and beginning stretches. His body screamed at the thought of the torture he was about to put it through.    
  
“Seems like it, yes.”    
  
Kuroo’s face fell briefly before he flashed him his usual grin. “Well, glad I could be of help.” 

 

Tsukishima wondered what the brief face had been for, or if he’d even imagined it. He snorted and rolled his eyes for the second time in as many minutes. “Your sacrifice was greatly appreciated.” 

 

“Believe me, it was hardly a sacrifice.” Kuroo gave him one last look and started to lean towards him before shaking his head and stepping into the gym.”If you uh, need me again, I wouldn’t mind helping out. Just saying.” He trotted across the gym and joined his team for stretches.  When Tsukishima followed him seconds later, trying to squash the flattered feeling of Kuroo’s concern, a brief hush filled the room. Part of him, the omega he figured, wanted to duck his head and stare at the ground, but he refused. He had done nothing wrong. Everyone could back off and let him play, and he’d be back to normal. 

 

He joined his team on one of the courts and sat down next to Yamaguchi to begin his stretches. 

 

“So…” Yamaguchi started awkwardly. 

 

“Don’t. Just don’t get awkward on me now. I’m the same as before.” 

 

Yamaguchi nodded and reached for his toes. “Got it, Tsukki.” 

 

The team went through their stretches with Daichi leading them. From the corner of his eyes, Tsukishima could see Coach Ukai watching him as he moved. Their confrontation would be coming after stretches; he was sure of it. 

 

Despite the rigorous activity and his sore body that desperately needed a soak in the water, the stretching felt good. It eased his sore muscles. When Yamaguchi approached him to help him with a deep bend, Sugawara gently pushed him out of the way and directed him to help Daichi. Tsukishima glanced over his shoulder as Sugawara leaned over to speak quietly in his ear, “As an omega, I’m not a threat to Kuroo-san.” 

 

“But Yamaguchi is just beta.” 

 

“It doesn’t matter. Like Daichi said, it’s alpha instinct. The only non-threatening people to a freshly scent-marked omega are other omegas. Just…go with it, please.” 

 

Tsukishima shrugged and pressed forward into the bend and surreptitiously glanced at Kuroo. The alpha captain was clearly fighting his instincts as he would glance over at Tsukishima and then turn back to his team, only to drift back to Tsukishima. Normally he would be annoyed with the attention, but in this case, it was amusing. Just like Tsukishima was fighting against what his omega side was telling him what to do, Kuroo was clearly fighting against his alpha. 

 

“Did Daichi do this to you?” Tsukishima asked quietly, feeling emboldened by the connection with his vice-captain. 

 

“Yes. He still does to a degree. He can’t help it, but at least now he’s aware of what he’s doing and tries to be a little more discreet. The first few times were a mess.” Sugawara chuckled. “I couldn’t even give the team high fives. I thought he was going drag me off and…” he trailed off and Tsukishima turned back to see the flush covering his cheeks. “Anyway, he doesn’t do that anymore.

 

“Can I ask when you…first decided on your arrangement.” 

 

“It was the end of our first year. I’d dealt with the heats the whole time alone, and I was missing a lot of practice because of it.” 

 

The two of them switched places and Tsukishima helped Sugawara stretch forward, pressing his hands against his back and pushing as the older omega reached between his legs as far as he could. 

 

There was another question that Tsukishima wanted to know, but he wasn’t sure if it was too personal. Really, it was none of his business what Sugawara and Daichi were planning on doing after high school, but curiosity churned in a way it never had before. He preferred to keep out of everyone’s business, but suddenly all he could think about was being  _ in  _ everyone’s business, just like Hinata and Nishinoya. It was not the most comfortable feeling in the world. 

 

“You have something you want to ask, just ask.” 

 

“What?” 

  
Sugawara looked back and grinned. “You’re thinking so hard and staring at the back of my head, it feels like you’re going to bore a hole right through it. 

 

“A-ah...it’s none of my business, really.” 

 

“You’re a freshly presented omega. It’s all right to ask questions. It’s how we learn. Better to ask and be informed than find things out the hard way.”

 

“I understand that, but this really has nothing to do with me.” 

 

Coach Ukai blew the whistle and they stopped stretching and everyone stood and made their way over to him. 

 

“Hmm,” Sugawara murmured, his voice dropping low. “You want to know if Daichi and I are going to bond after school is over, right?” Tsukishima felt his face heat and he stared at the ground, unable to look him in the eye. “We are. We just want to make sure the time is right for us.” 

 

Tsukishima glanced at him to see Sugawara smiling fondly at the captain as he spoke with their coach, and he felt as if he was intruding on a private moment. 

 

“As for Nishinoya and Asahi, you’ll have to ask them, but I’m sure Nishinoya would  _ love  _ to tell you  _ all  _ about it.” 

 

“I think I’ll skip that, thanks.” 

 

“Probably for the best. Poor Asahi wouldn’t survive the conversation if he was in earshot and Nishinoya would be out his alpha.” 

 

The team split up to take their assigned places, but Coach Ukai called him over, his face strangely blank. 

 

“Yes?” Tsukishima asked, looking down at him. He could smell his alpha scent, but it was tempered by Kuroo’s scent that still clung to him. Come to think of it, he could hardly smell the other alphas. If that was going to help block everything during the day, this was an added bonus to their scent-marking. 

 

“Why didn’t you notify us that you were going into heat?” 

 

Tsukishima shrugged. “I found a way to take care of it.” 

 

“That was an incredibly stupid thing to do, Tsukishima.” 

 

“I knew what I was doing. I picked someone I trusted. Like everyone else on the team.” 

 

Coach Ukai sighed. “Those were decided on with a lot of careful thought, not as a spur of the moment fix.” 

 

“Not that it’s your business, but we didn’t bond,” Tsukishima forced out. This conversation was painful in more ways than one. 

 

“Watch the attitude,” Coach said, and he could feel the waves of alpha pheromones wash over him. He’d never felt it before, and he unnerved him when his head bowed and he clasped his hands together. 

 

“W-what…” he started, but stopped when the coach told him to listen. His mouth snapped shut and all he could do was listen as he started to sweat under the intense stare. 

 

“So many things could have gone wrong. First of all, you chose someone from another school. You don’t exactly know them. That was your first idiotic move. Second, you didn’t bother to notify your teachers so that we could make arrangements for you. Third, you went off and did it on school grounds, which is not exactly encouraged behavior. And finally, you’re damn lucky you were in a place where no other alpha had easy access to you. Kuroo or not, things could have gotten ugly if they had found your scent and followed it. You may have chosen Kuroo, but that doesn’t mean another alpha won’t challenge him for it. It happens.” 

 

Tsukishima couldn’t keep silent any longer. Despite the pressure to keep still and listen to the alpha he jerked his head up and glared at his coach. “Everyone keeps telling me what I should and shouldn’t be doing. But it’s my choice.  _ Mine _ .” 

 

“Tsukishima, when you are at a school related function such as training camp, you are in my care, whether you like it or not.” He opened his mouth to continue, but a growl and a scuffle on the opposite side of the court attracted their attention. 

 

His alpha - what the hell? No, Kuroo - was being held back by Bokuto. He could faintly hear Bokuto telling him to cool it.    
  
“Stand down, Kuroo,” Coach Ukai said so forcefully the words themselves almost flattened Tsukishima. Instead, he gritted his teeth. Behind him Hinata and Nishinoya whimpered. 

 

Coach Nekomata joined Bokuto and put a hand on his shoulder, helping turn his captain around and lead him out of the gym. 

 

“Like I said. Your wellbeing in my responsibility, and if anything happens to you, the blame falls with me. So in the future, if I catch whiff of a heat, you will be sent back to Miyagi or home, wherever we are, since you clearly cannot be trusted with your own decisions. Is that understood?” 

 

“But why do-”

 

“I said, is that understood?” 

 

That same force washed over him and he steeled himself and forced out a terse, “yes.” 

 

“Good. Now get on the bench. You’re sitting out this first match against Nekoma since your alpha clearly can’t handle himself around you.” 

 

Tsukishima wanted to spit out that Kuroo wasn’t his alpha but thought better of it and joined Shimizu and Yachi on the bench. Yachi was bright red and kept her hands clasped in her lap while Shimizu ignored him and continued her notes. 

 

Today was going to be hell. 


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tsukishima and Kuroo have a heart-to-heart at lunch and talk about what happened. They also gossip about Bokuto and Akaashi, and Kuroo can't help when some of his alpha instincts kick in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe this fic is at almost 5,000 views! I'm so happy! And we hit over 400 kudos and my heart is jumping for joy! So much so that it gave me motivation to write this next chapter faster. It ends on cliffhanger (sorry not sorry) on purpose. I'm still deciding where I want to take it. Maybe your comments will influence me, maybe they won't! Either way, I wanted to get Kuroo and Tsukki talking more about what happened and start building up their relationship. This might have had sex fairly quickly, but this is a slooooow buuuuurn every other way. Enjoy! Comments are much appreciated!

The team last the first game to Nekoma, though it had been closer than the last time they played. Tsukishima couldn’t be sure it was an improvement in their skills, however. Not that he was watching him or anything, but Kuroo kept glancing at him on the bench. Sure, he connected with the ball every time he went for it, but some of the balls were blocked by Karasuno, and while he was recovering from the shock, Karasuno managed to get a point or two in on him. It clearly frustrated the alpha as his team called “Don’t mind!” several times. 

 

When the first game was over, he was finally allowed to play against Shinzen. He found it easier to concentrate in this game; the smells of the other alphas were dulled, and instead the comforting scent of sandalwood kept him grounded. He found he could focus on what he’d learned during block practice with Kuroo more, and his blocks were stronger than ever. 

 

“Nice, Tsukki!” Yamaguchi cheered from the side. 

 

“Nice kill,” Asahi said, clapping him on the back. He blanched a moment before Tsukki stopped his thoughts where he figured they were going. 

 

“I’m still your teammate. That doesn’t change.” 

 

“R-right.” 

 

It wasn’t like he enjoyed the contact before he presented, and he didn’t enjoy it after, but he didn’t want everyone treating him differently just because he’d been scent-marked by Kuroo. He would continue to suffer in silence and everyone would continue to give him high-fives or slap his back or, in Nishinoya’s case,  _ jump _ on his back. 

 

“You’re getting better, Tsukishima! Nice one!” 

 

“Please get off me, Nishinoya-san.” 

 

The short libero laughed and hopped off, switching places for their next play. 

 

For the first time since camp started, they took a game and didn’t have to do diving drills or sprints. 

 

“Sweet relief,” Tanaka said as he dropped onto the bench and inhaled the water Yachi handed out. “My body can take a break from bruises.” 

 

“If you did the dives right you wouldn’t be so bruised,” Nishinoya quipped. 

 

The break between games allowed Tsukishima to watch Nekoma as they finished their set against Fukurodani. Both teams were evenly matched. Even if Bokuto was in the top five aces in the country, Nekoma had a strong team. With Bokuto and Kuroo being such good friends, too, they were able to read each other’s moves. It was interesting to watch the dynamics between the two captains. 

 

Fukurodani ended up taking it, but it was close. As Bokuto spiked the last ball that gave them their win, he landed with a loud “Hey, hey, hey! Akaashi! Did you see that? Did you, Akaashi!” 

 

“Yes, Bokuto-san.” 

 

“For an alpha he sure is insecure,” Yamaguchi whispered next to him. 

 

“He’s not. He just likes showing off and being praised.” 

 

“Do you think he likes their setter?” 

 

Tsukishima watched as Bokuto followed Akaashi off the court, still preening and asking if he’d seen this spike or that block. Akaashi’s face seemed devoid of emotion, but Tsukishima had spent enough time with them to notice the slight quirk of his lips as the rowdy captain jumped around.

 

“I’m sure he does.” 

 

Karasuno played two more games, one against Ubugawa and one against Fukurodani, before lunch. They lost to both, but the games were closer than they had been the previous times. He’d managed to block two more of Bokuto’s spikes, completing shutting him out once, causing the melodramatic alpha to meltdown. Akaashi and the rest of the team had to rally and cover for him as he gained his bearings. When Akaashi finally passed him an easy set, Bokuto spiked the ball, nearly taking Tsukishima’s hand off despite the strength he’d put there. 

 

“Don’t mind!” Daichi called as he tried, but failed, to pick up the ball. 

 

Once they were dismissed for lunch, Tsukishima realized he was starving. 

 

It was too hot to eat outside, so the teams piled into the cafeteria again. The team managers had been cooking again, but it was simple rice, vegetables, and grilled fish. 

 

Tsukishima took a little more rice than he normally would and was able to join his team when sandalwood flooded his sense. He looked up to see Kuroo making a beeline towards him and he paused, midstep. 

 

“Hey, Tsukki. Let’s eat together.” 

 

He wanted to say no, that he needed to join his team, but when he opened his mouth to tell him that, “Fine,” slipped out instead. 

 

The smile that lit up Kuroo’s face helped ease the annoyance he felt at himself for agreeing. 

 

Someone from one of the teams whistled as the moved to the far end of Karasuno’s table, likely Kuroo’s concession that Tsukishima would rather be with his own team. 

 

“Your coach made you sit out our first match.” 

 

“Obviously,” Tsukishima snorted as he took a bite of the crisp vegetables. 

 

“Coach Nekomata wasn’t thrilled with me, either.” 

 

“No?” 

 

“He said if I wasn’t the captain he would bench me for the rest of the season. That I took advantage of you.” 

 

“But you didn’t. I asked you.” 

 

“I tried to tell him that, but he didn’t believe me.” 

 

Tsukishima’s face colored. “Do you want me to tell him?” 

 

“No, Bokuto was there when you asked, so he told him what happened. Nekomata seemed to believe him over me, since he was the ‘level-headed one.’” Kuroo snorted at that. “Can you believe that? He called Bokuto level-headed.” 

 

“Well he might seem like that in this one instance.” 

 

“Oh, he would have been just as affected by your pheromones, but he wants Akaashi.” 

 

“Ah, so he does. Yamaguchi wondered if he did. The way he’s always prancing around for him.” 

 

“Prancing! Ha! That’s a good one, Tsukki. I guess he does prance and preen like a damn owl.” He finished his fish and dug into his rice. Tsukishima still ate slowly. “He’s wanted Akaashi since he joined as a first year.”

 

Tsukishima finished his vegetables and started on his fish. “Then why don’t they?” 

 

“Akaashi wants to wait until he’s finished with high school. He said he doesn’t want anything like that until afterwards. Bokuto is probably the least patient person on this planet but he’s trying.” 

 

“Can’t they just date?” 

 

“Everything Bokuto asks, Akaashi says he doesn’t have time for it.” 

 

Tsukishima felt a little bad for the loud captain. He glanced over at their table and saw him practically leaning against the stoic Akaashi who quietly finished his meal. 

 

“What about your setter?” 

 

“Kenma? What about him?” 

 

“He’s omega. You seem close. Why didn’t you-” He was cut off by Kuroo’s barking laugh. 

 

“Me and Kenma? If you even suggested that to him he’d probably find some way to kill you. No, no way. We’ve been best friends since we were kids. I had to drag him into volleyball or he never would have played. He’d rather play video games all day. No, he’s more like a younger brother to me.” 

 

“I would have thought it would be convenient.” Tsukki shrugged and took one more bite of his rice and started to push the tray away. Kuroo stopped it’s progress and pushed it back towards him with the threat that he would personally feed him if he didn’t eat more. He sighed and gave in. 

 

“Why would it be convenient?” 

 

“You don’t have issues with alphas harassing omegas in Tokyo?” 

 

Kuroo thought about it, his chopsticks half out of his mouth. “Hmm...maybe sometimes, but it’s a busy city and there’s always people around, even in the outskirts of the city.” He froze and looked at Tsukishima, eyes narrowed. Alpha pheromones nearly flattened him and he looked at him, wide-eyed. “Did someone go after you?” 

 

“Y-yes,” he was forced to admit. He didn’t want to; it just came out. “But it’s fine now. You marked me, everyone will back off.” 

 

“Did they hurt you?” 

 

“It doesn’t matter,” he choked out. 

 

“I said, did they hurt you?” 

 

“K-Kuroo-san...your pheromones are really strong,” he managed to choke out, covering his mouth and nose. The urge to tilt his head and expose his neck was so strong. From the other end of the table he heard Hinata whine and someone - Daichi maybe - growl a warning. 

 

Kuroo took a deep breath and the powerful scent receded a bit. 

 

“I hurt them more than they hurt me, and the police took care of it. We figured out a way to deal with it until the time being. I was wearing Azumane-san’s jacket home to give the illusion of being with an alpha.” 

 

“That doesn’t make me feel better.” 

 

“You’re not my alpha, Kuroo-san.” 

 

The pained look on his face was only momentary, but it was enough. “I-I know that. I don’t know why I’m reacting this way.” He laughed nervously and ran a hand through his already disastrous hair. “Stupid hormones. Betas have it easy.” 

 

“They do.” 

 

“If you were having so much trouble before, can I ask why you didn’t ask an alpha before me?” 

 

“Who would I ask? There are three on my team. Two are taken and the last one I would rather die before I even thought about doing what we did with him. Just thinking about it makes me sick. I thought about asking Yamaguchi, but Sugawara said he wouldn’t work because he’s just a beta. Kuroo-san, you can stop growling.” 

 

The alpha stopped. When Tsukishima glanced over at the other end of the table, Yamaguchi had paled and buried his face in his meal. Ah, so he had known that particular growl was meant for him. 

 

“He’s my best friend and he was the only one I trusted to do it before you, but it wouldn’t have worked.” 

 

Kuroo finished his food and pushed the tray back to Tsukishima once again. “It really was an honor for you to ask me. That you trust me that much...it means a lot.” 

 

Tsukishima rolled his eyes. “Are you sure it’s not just alpha pride?” 

 

Kuroo chuckled. “Maybe a little. But the bigger part of me knows that you’re very calculating and that you had to have thought it out a lot and weighed every option. I’m glad I was able to help you.” 

 

“It certainly made this ordeal better.” He flushed as he remembered the grip on his hips and Kuroo whispering words in his ear he couldn’t remember anymore. He shivered and Kuroo reached out to rest a hand on his shoulder. 

 

“Are you okay?” 

 

“Yeah. I’m fine. I’m just going to take that shower now. I feel…less than clean.” He stood and left his tray of half-finished food. 

 

“But you didn’t finish eating!” 

 

“I’m not hungry anymore.” 

 

Tsukishima blocked out everything else as he made his way to their temporary dorm room, gathered his shower materials, and headed for the bathroom. He really wanted a nice soak in the baths, but a quick shower would have to suffice. He would be able to bath with the others later that evening. 

 

They still had at least half an hour before practice resumed so he would able to clean himself up thoroughly and then maybe rest a little in their room if he was quick enough. After disrobing, he turned the water on as hot as he could manage and looked down at his body for the first time since that morning. 

 

He immediately grimaced. 

 

He’d thought he feel itchy patches on his skin, but he’d tried his back to ignore it, and the sweat had made it more bearable, but the sight that greeted him was mortifying.

 

Dried, white patches of cum decorated his chest and stomach, despite how much care they’d taken to clean up. They must have been streaked across his chest rather than completely picked up when they’d cleaned. He wrinkled his nose in disgust at the mess as he stepped into the hot water and let it wash over him. 

 

The heat felt wonderful on his skin, and he let it soak into him for several moments before grabbing the bar of soap. As he rinsed away the aftermath of his heat, he noticed the bruises Kuroo had left behind from where he’d gripped his hips. He smirked as he thought about what Kuroo’s back must look like from the scratches he was sure he’d put there. 

 

He’d just finished soaping up and rinsing off for the second time when he heard a noise behind him. Glancing over his shoulder he saw Kuroo standing just outside the open shower stall, his hands gripping the frames, knuckles white from the force.

 

“Tsukki,” he choked out, his eyes wide and pupils dilated. 

 

“Kuroo-san?”


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tsukishima and Kuroo share a private moment in the locker room, and Nishinoya tries to be a good senpai.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So for the first time in forever I have motivation to write, so I'm staying on this gravy train while it's going! Please don't get too used to the daily updates, as I'm sure at some point they'll peter out, but enjoy them while they last! Thanks again for your comments and kudos. They honestly made me feel awesome and helped inspire me to write faster for you!

“Why are you here?” Tsukishima asked, not completely facing the alpha. 

 

“I...I wanted to make sure you were okay. I don’t know why. I know you are and that the other alphas would leave you alone since I marked you, but I just...I felt this urge to follow you. I must have blacked out because I was in the cafeteria and then I was here.” 

 

“Well, I’m fine. So...you can leave, Kuroo-san.”

 

“I’m trying,” he said through gritted teeth. His knuckles squeezed the metal frame of the shower and he closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. “But you smell like us.” 

 

Tsukishima swallowed nervously. “Yes. That was the point.” 

 

“You smell so good.” 

 

“I think you should turn around.” 

 

“If I turn around, can I at least stay and pretend I’m making sure you’re safe?” Kuroo asked earnestly. When Tsukishima nodded, he turned and crossed his arms over his chest. 

 

He couldn’t help the slight smile that crossed his face as he turned back to the hot water and quickly shampooed his short hair. He was conflicted. Part of him was annoyed that Kuroo had shown up to interrupt his shower, but another part - the omega, he figured and blamed - was pleased that his alpha -  _ No,  _ for the last time,  _ Kuroo _ \- wanted to watch over him and make sure he was free from harm. 

 

Though if he were being extra honest, another repeat of last night wouldn’t be unwelcome, either. He shivered under the hot spray at the thought of his thick knot locking them together and quickly turned the water to a blast of cold to shock his body into behaving. 

 

It worked. 

 

Tsukishima grabbed his towel and quickly dried off then slung it around his hips. He tapped on Kuroo’s shoulder to get him to move and stepped out of the stall. Kuroo followed close behind as he made his way to the changing room where he’d stored his clothes and pulled on his shorts before removing the towel. 

 

“I left marks on your hips. Sorry.” 

 

“I’m sure I left some on your back,” Tsukishima replied, curious how deep they were. 

 

“Uh, yeah. Kenma mentioned them, but I don’t mind.” He grinned. “Just proof of what we did.” 

 

“Honestly...I don’t really mind either.” 

 

Kuroo licked his lips as he stared at him. “You don’t?” 

 

“No. I should. I would be annoyed any other time...but I’m not.” 

 

“Hmm…” 

 

Tsukishima was about to tug his shirt on when sandalwood once again flared out from Kuroo and he turned to look at the alpha who was...suddenly very close. 

 

“Kuroo-san.” 

 

“Mmm?” 

 

“What are you doing?” 

 

“I don’t know.” 

 

Shirt on one arm, Tsukishima backed up into the locker, the metal ringing out as he hit it hard. Kuroo approached and placed both arms against the lockers, trapping Tsukishima between them. He held his body apart, which kept Tsukishima in control, but barely. The pheromones were overwhelming.  

 

“K-Kuroo-san...you’re too close.” He could see his pupils blown wide and his nostrils flaring slightly as he breathed deeply and scented Tsukishima. 

 

“I’m trying so hard to control myself but...shit...Tsukki, I think you threw me into rut.” 

 

Tsukishima swallowed. “But my heat wasn’t even real. Sugawara-san said it was a pseudo-heat from being around so many alphas.” 

 

“A heat is a heat, real or false. My hormones don’t know the difference. Fuck, you smell so good.” He leaned another inch forward, his nose just stopping before Tsukishima’s scent glands. “Can...I scent you again?” 

 

Tsukishima swallowed nervously, wondering if he’d be able to stop at just that, but he nodded. Truth was, he’d liked the sensation of Kuroo pressing against his scent glands, licking them to get a taste. He’d wanted to do it as well, but last night he’d been too far gone and had just rubbed himself shamelessly against Kuroo. 

 

“Okay.” 

 

Kuroo breathed a sigh of relief. “If you want me to stop, tell me, okay? I don’t...I don’t want to hurt you.” 

 

“Okay,” Tsukishima repeated, and then a nose pressed against him and breathed deeply against his skin. Tingling chills ran down his spine and he reached out to grasp Kuroo’s arms, keeping him from moving away. 

 

The feeling was even more intense than it had been the night before. Whether it was because it wasn’t the first time and they already had a connection, or because Tsukishima was lucid, he wasn’t sure. But he couldn’t stop himself when his head rolled to the side, giving Kuroo better access to that gland on his neck. Kuroo took the invitation for what it was and stepped closer, pressing their bodies together as he gave a long, slow lick of the area with the flat of his tongue, much like a cat. 

 

Tsukishima refused to moan, but he couldn’t control the breathy sigh that passed his lips. 

 

“Kuroo-san…” 

 

“Mmm?” Another swipe of that damn tongue and a light grazing of teeth. 

 

“Can I scent you, too?” 

 

Kuroo didn’t speak, just paused and tilted his head, giving Tsukishima access to his gland. He could see it from this close, the slight discoloration of the skin and miniscule droplets of oil that had secreted in that area. He leaned forward, pressing his nose to the spot and breathed deeply. 

 

Two things happened simultaneously. Kuroo let out a deep, throaty moan, and Tsukishima’s brain jolted as if he’d been given an electric shock. This close, with his nose pressed right against the source, the scent went straight to his brain and he felt drunk. What else could describe the hazy feeling? His thoughts were muddy and nothing else mattered to him except getting closer. 

 

Huffing out through his mouth and then inhaling deeper, he took the scent into his lungs, onto his tongue, memorizing it completely. He was sure that if they were separated in Tokyo, Tsukishima would be able to find him just from the strength of this scent alone. 

 

As Kuroo had done, he swiped out his tongue and licked at the gland to get a stronger taste. Kuroo swore, his hips jerking forward and pinning Tsukishima to the locker behind him. Instinct told him to bite down as hard as he could, but he swam back to the surface of his mind and instead leaned forward, rubbing their glands together. 

 

This time it was comforting. The scenting before had been completely sexual, and just now, when he’d licked at the gland, he’d wanted nothing more than to take Kuroo’s knot on the locker room floor, but this gentle press and glide was different. It made him feel safe and high. 

 

When he pulled back, Kuroo’s pupils had blown as wide as the night before, and he was sure his own mirrored them. Kuroo panted harshly, his hands curling against the locker. 

 

“Tsukki…” 

 

“We should go.” 

 

“You go. I’ll...get to practice eventually.” 

 

“Are you alright?” 

 

Kuroo laughed unevenly. “Alright? Sure. I’ll be fine once you leave and I jump in a cold shower.” 

 

“Did I-” 

 

“Tsukki, if you don’t leave in the next ten seconds, I have no idea if I’ll be able to control myself. I’m trying my hardest, but fuck I want you so badly right now.”  

 

The rational, level-headed part of his brain took control of the situation and he ducked out from Kuroo’s arms. He threw his shirt on as he left the locker room, glancing back over his shoulder to see Kuroo completely frozen in place, the muscles in his arms shaking. 

 

***

 

“Tsukki! Where were you?” Yamaguchi called when he ran into his team heading for the gymnasium. 

 

“Shower,” he responded. Yamaguchi didn’t notice the renewed strength of Kuroo’s scent, but every alpha and omega on the team did. Nishinoya grinned and elbowed Asahi.

 

“Remember our first time when you couldn’t control yourself?” 

 

Daichi just managed to grab Asahi as he staggered backwards, likely from the loss of blood in his face. “Nishinoya, could you please stop teasing him? We have practice.” 

 

“But it’s so much fun,” Nishinoya pouted. He slid his way over to Tsukishima, ignoring Daichi’s call for him to stop. “Couldn’t keep yourself away from your alpha?” 

 

“He’s not my alpha.” 

 

“Uh-huh. Sure. That’s what we  _ all _ say at first. Well. Except me. I knew Asahi was going to be mine the second I laid eyes on him.” 

 

Tsukishima took the distraction for what it was. Anything to get the subject off himself. “Did you really.” A statement. Not a question. He wasn’t curious. 

 

“Yup! I mean look at him. He’s the perfect alpha. Kind, strong, hot.” 

 

“He doesn’t act like an alpha.” 

 

“Stereotypes. I don’t act like an omega. You don’t  _ look _ like an omega. Anyway, we balance each other out. And that’s what finding your alpha is supposed to be, right?” 

 

“I have no idea.” 

 

“You’ll figure it out. Kuroo would make a good alpha for you.” 

 

Tsukishima glared at him. “Why do you say that?” 

 

“Because he got you out of your shell. He dragged you into blocking practice and helped you improve.” 

 

“Bokuto-san did that, too.” 

 

“But you went for Kuroo, didn’t you?” 

 

He couldn’t deny that. 

 

“Anyway, after my first heat with Asahi, he followed me everywhere and scent-marked me whenever he got the chance. He was so embarrassed by it. Said he couldn’t control it.”

 

_ Huh. Just like Kuroo had said. He couldn’t help it.  _ “Should you really be telling me this?” 

 

“As your senpai, I am here to offer my sage advice.” 

 

“While embarrassing Azumane-san.” 

 

Nishinoya waved a hand and laughed. “He’s fine. He’ll get over it. I’m telling you this because I completely get it. I’ve been there. Sugawara’s been there.” He stopped and grabbed Tsukishima’s arm, letting the others pass them as he got suddenly serious. “You don’t just have to go to Suga if you need help, you know. I know I might not seem the most...reliable...of omegas, but I’ve been through this, too. Suga’s more like a traditional omega so he might not get how difficult some of this might be for you. I do.” 

 

Seeing Nishinoya so serious was a rarity off the court. Like this, Tsukishima could only nod. 

 

“Anyway, where is your alpha now?’

 

“He’s not my alpha. He said he’d be later. He might...sit out the first set.” Nishinoya smirked. “It’s not like that.”

 

“Mmmhmm. That’s what we  _ all _ say.” 

 

Tsukishima rolled his eyes as he followed the rest of the team into the gym. Kuroo was, of course, not there. Coach Nekomata and Coach Ukai had been talking and when he walked into the gym, the stopped to watch him as he took his place next to Yamaguchi and warmed up again. They could smell the stronger scent, but it was innocent this time. No sex involved. 

 

It took time for the scent to filter through the air, and while the other teams ignored it, Bokuto perked up and looked around. He blinked owlishly, confused for a moment until he saw Tsukishima and then smirked.

 

_ How annoying _ . 

 

Their first match of the afternoon was against Ubugawa, and Tsukishima felt calmer than he had in weeks. He saw every move through a laser focus and managed to block most of the spikes from the team captain. His team cheered him on, even as Hinata and Kageyama struggled again with their quicks, but with Nishinoya as libero and Asahi as their ace, they managed to win. 

 

“We did it!” Hinata cheered, jumping up and down. He was yelling about this move and that, making sounds as Nishinoya caught up to his energy and jumped with him. Kageyama walked by at one point and smacked him in the back of the head, silencing the short middle blocker. 

 

By the time Kuroo returned to practice, they were beginning their second match against Shinzen. Tsukishima was out this rotation, and he couldn’t help but noticed how tense Kuroo looked. He saw him pull his coach to the side. Nekomata frowned but nodded as he took a seat on the bench. 

 

It was odd, and for a moment Tsukishima was concerned until Kuroo caught his eye and grinned lazily, flashing him a thumbs up. 

 

“Tch,” he said, ignoring the burning in his cheeks as he turned back to watch his teammates. What the hell was he getting so worried for? 


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuroo is mysteriously absent from dinner, and when Tsukishima willingly goes to join gym three for blocking practice, he discovers his heat has thrown Kuroo into a rut. What's an omega to do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thank you so much for all the lovely comments and kudos! I am so happy right now, you don't understand. As a thank you, I've written you a lovely little chapter with some bonus smut at the end. I hope you enjoy it! That said, I will be on vacation for a week starting on Saturday. I may or may not have time to update on vacation, so please don't be too disappointed if you don't hear from me for a week. I promise I'm not going anywhere. It'll just take longer for me to update. Anyway, enjoy!

Karasuno beat Shinzen, but they lost to Fukurodani and Nekoma. Tsukishima thought it would be difficult to play directly facing off against Kuroo, but instead he was relaxed. Whether it was from scenting earlier or his improved blocking skills, he didn’t know. He just knew that as a whole, the team was stronger than they had been before. They managed to take one set, but lost the others. 

 

They won two games that day, and Coach Ukai was pleased with their progress. Before their final break of the day for dinner and free practice, he called them over and told them as much.

 

“Everyone has improved since we got here, and today you managed to win two games and take a set from Nekoma and Fukurodani. That doesn’t mean you can just sit back and relax. We have a lot of work to do if we’re going to stand a chance against any of these teams at Nationals.” 

 

“First we have to go against Aoba Johsai and Shiratorizawa,” Tanaka muttered. 

 

“Yes, that’s true, but you’ve improved!” Takeda-sensei said cheerfully. “Everyone has so much passion and you’ve been putting your heart and soul into these games. I know you’re exhausted, but you’ve exceeded our expectations in such a short amount of time. We’re very proud of you. Keep giving it your all!” 

 

The team cheered and broke for dinner. Yamaguchi and Nishinoya flanked him on each side, yammering away, and Tsukishima snuck a glance back at Nekoma. The team was crowded around Kuroo who was panting and doubled over. For a moment Tsukishima felt concern rise in him, but he pushed it down. He had probably just overexerted himself. It didn’t matter. Without another glance behind him, he followed his teammates to the cafeteria. 

 

***

Dinner was once again without fanfare, but after the rigorous day of training and games, it was good. Tsukishima ate a little more than usual, but not nearly as much as Nishinoya. He stared at the massive mound of food on his tray, appalled. “How do you eat that much?” 

 

“I need the energy! I’m always diving around the court. It helps my stamina,” he grinned, taking a large bite of his vegetables with rice and chewing hastily. “Besides, I’m still a growing boy.” 

 

Tanaka snickered from his other side. “I really think you’re done growing, Noya.” 

 

The short omega glared at him half-heartedly before shoveling more food into his face. “Guys don’t finish growing until they’re eighteen, right? I have a year to go.” 

 

“Yeah, but omegas stop earlier- Ow!” Tanaka laughed as Nishinoya grabbed him in a headlock. “I give! Let go!” 

 

“If anything, Tsukishima has proven that not everything about omegas is true, and so I am going to hold onto the belief that I still have another few centimeters left in me.” 

 

Tsukishima rolled his eyes. 

 

“Ne, Tsukki, are you going to do more blocking practice tonight?” Yamaguchi asked from his other side. 

 

“I guess. I missed it last night.” 

 

“Oh. I’m surprised you’re so interested in it.” 

 

He shrugged and stared at his tray. “It’s helped.” 

 

“You were so cool today! You blocked so many spikes. Kuroo-san and Bokuto-san must really be a big help.”

 

“Yeah. I guess.” 

 

“Speaking of, where is Kuroo-san?” 

 

Tsukishima hadn’t been paying attention. After all, it wasn’t like they were in a relationship and he needed to keep tabs on him, but when he looked up he was surprised to see the captain absent from his team table. He figured not sitting together for dinner was normal given that they’d eaten lunch together. But for him not to be at dinner at all? A quick glance around the room revealed Bokuto and Akaashi both sitting together at Fukurodani’s table in the corner. They both looked unconcerned. Another glance back at Nekoma’s table revealed the same. Kenma sat playing his video game, only taking a bite of food when one of his teammates nudged him. 

 

Well. If they weren’t concerned, he wouldn’t be either. Maybe he was still talking to his coach or something. 

 

Kuroo still hadn’t shown up by the time Tsukishima left. He handed his tray off to the team managers, thanked them for the meal, and then made his way to the third gym. Inside he could hear Bokuto and Akaashi talking, though not as loudly as usual. When he stepped into the entrance, Bokuto turned to him with a grin. 

 

“Megane-kun!” 

 

“It’s Tsukishima.” 

 

“Tsukishima-kun! I’m surprised you’re here!” 

 

Tsukishima glanced around, baffled. Why wouldn’t he be there? They’d harassed him to join their practice for several nights, and he was getting use out of it. Why not join them again? “Why?” 

 

“Well I figured you’d be with Kuroo right now.” 

 

“Why would I be with him? I haven’t even seen him since practice ended.” 

 

Bokuto stared at him, blinking owlishly. “What? He didn’t tell you? You didn’t notice?” 

 

“Notice what, Bokuto-san?” 

 

Akaashi shook his head and pushed Bokuto back a little as he spluttered something unintelligible. “Kuroo’s rut was triggered. I’m not surprised you couldn’t tell. He took some pretty strong scent blockers. Said he didn’t want to trigger anyone else or cause the omegas distress.”

 

So Kuroo was right when he’d said he felt his rut earlier that afternoon. It probably explained his lack of concentration at times, and the way he’d doubled over on the court after the games. Tsukishima knew the basics about ruts from school, but having no alphas in his family, he’d never bothered to really pay attention to them. When he’d thought he’d present as alpha, he figured he’d read about it then, but that never came to pass. “Okay.” 

 

“Okay?” Bokuto shouted. “That’s it? After he helped you with your heat?” 

 

“Bokuto-san, please. You don’t need to be so loud about this,” Akaashi said gently, placing a hand on his captain’s arm. The scent of calming pheromones wafted from him and Bokuto slumped over. It relaxed Tsukishima, too. 

 

“But Kuroo needs help!” 

 

“He didn’t ask for it, clearly. If he wanted help, he’d have asked.” 

 

Tsukishima stood there, listening to the conversation that was indirectly about him and frowned. Why hadn’t Kuroo asked him for help? He wouldn’t have minded helping him with his rut if they could be careful about it. He wasn’t thrilled with the idea of getting in trouble with Coach Ukai again. But he was already scent-marked, so what would be the problem? “Where is he now?” 

 

“He asked Coach Nekomata to lock him in the infirmary and not to let him out until the morning.” 

 

“Why?” 

 

“To make sure he stayed put and didn’t do anything stupid.” Bokuto raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you know anything about ruts?” 

 

Tsukishima flushed. “Tch. Just what we learned in school. I thought they were longer than a day.” 

 

“They are. But Kuroo said he’d manage through tomorrow if he could get some time alone tonight.” 

 

Tsukishima stared at the two of them. He’d trusted Kuroo to help him through his heat. It would only be fair if he helped Kuroo through this, right? He shivered slightly at the thought of those hands once again gripping his hips, that knot pressing into him. He swallowed audibly and Bokuto grinned. 

 

“You know, a rut is shorter when an alpha has an omega to knot a few times. Feels better, too.”

 

“And how would you know that, Bokuto-san?” 

 

“It’s Alpha 101!” 

 

“But you don’t know from personal experience.” 

 

“Akaaaaashi!” Bokuto whined. “It’s not from lack of trying!” 

 

“I know, Bokuto-san.” 

 

Tsukishima turned on his heels to leave but was stopped when Bokuto called out “Hey! Where are you going?” 

 

“To the infirmary.” 

 

“Going to be with your alpha? That’s so sweet.” 

 

“He’s not my alpha.” 

 

“Mmhmm,” Bokuto hummed, following after him. “You’re not going to be able to get in by the hallway, but the window is an option.” 

 

“Fine, but why are you following me?” 

 

“Because, as tall as you are, it’s a little high and you’re going to need a boost.” 

 

Great. Because that’s exactly what Tsukishima wanted. An entourage as he made his way to Kuroo’s side to return the favor he’d given the night before. Akaashi sighed as he followed after them, and Tsukishima was at least grateful for his presence. He exuded calm and somehow managed to keep the boisterous alpha in line. 

 

***

 

The grounds around the school were quiet that evening with most students getting in extra practice at the gyms. Some students, he was sure, had already gone to bed. Briefly he wondered if he should check in with one of his teammates and let him know what he was doing, but they had heard him say he was practicing with Bokuto and the others, so he should be fine for awhile. 

 

The window outside the infirmary was open again, just as it had been the previous night. He wondered if an alpha in rut got as hot as he did during his heats, or if Kuroo just hadn’t bothered closing it. 

 

Inside the room, he could hear soft gasps and moans and he flushed. Glancing at Bokuto and Akaashi, he saw that Akaashi was just as affected, but Bokuto didn’t seem to care. 

 

“Kuroo! How are you doing in there?”    
  
There was a pause in the noises and Kuroo groaned. “Bokuto, what do you want? Kinda busy right now.” 

 

“Yeah, no kidding. Anyway, Akaashi and I brought you a little something to help you out.” 

 

“...you brought Akaashi? Are you insane?” 

 

“Sorry, Kuroo-san. I had to follow just in case Bokuto-san got in trouble.” 

 

A weary chuckle sounded. “That’s a good point. Anyway, if you guys could leave right now, that would be great.” 

 

“But we brought your omega!” Bokuto said, standing on his toes but not quite able to get to the window.    
  
“I’m not his omega.” Tsukishima muttered. 

 

“T-Tsukki?” Kuroo gasped after another pause. There was a muffled curse. “He really shouldn’t be here right now. You really shouldn’t.” 

 

Tsukishima looked at Bokuto and nodded. The noisy owl placed his hands together, cupping them, and braced himself on one knee. Tsukishima placed one foot on his hands and was instantly boosted up through the window. 

 

“Geez, Megane-kun. You’re even lighter than Akaashi. You need to eat more.”    
  
“Bokuto-san, we should go,” Akaashi called from below. 

 

“Have fun you two!” Bokuto called cheerful. 

 

Tsukishima pulled himself the rest of the way into the room. It was dark, and Kuroo had chosen the same bed they’d been in the night before, but he could hardly see him in the dark. “Kuroo-san.” 

 

“Tsukki...you shouldn’t be here.” 

 

“You helped me. I should help you.” 

 

“It’s fine,” he groaned, the sound of hand moving on flesh filling the air. 

 

“I can’t smell you. Why?” 

 

“I took suppressants. They won’t stop my rut, but they b-block my scent. I don’t want to trigger anyone else.” 

 

Tsukishima swallowed. He was speaking before he could stop himself. “I don’t like that I can’t smell you.”    
  
Kuroo groaned loudly at that. “Fuck, Tsukki. You can’t just say stuff like that.” 

 

“I know. I don’t know why I did.”

 

“Look, I appreciate you checking on me, but you gotta leave now. I don’t know if I can control myself.”    
  
“I know.” 

 

He could see Kuroo clearly now as his eyes adjusted to the dim light of the room. Kuroo lay stretched out on their bed, his hand gripping his cock. Tsukishima licked his lips and took a step forward. He reached down and tugged at the hem of his shirt, pulling it off and tossing it to the side.

 

Kuroo groaned again. “Are you sure about this?” 

 

“Yes.” Shoes and socks followed, joined quickly by his shorts. He stood before Kuroo naked, his body moving on autopilot as he climbed onto the narrow bed, straddling his hips.  _ This is such a bad idea.  _ “Bokuto-san said your rut will pass faster if you knot someone a few times.” 

 

“A-ah...that’s the theory, yes. I’ve never had a chance to try it out.” 

 

“Now’s your chance,” he said, and then couldn’t help but add, “Mr. Scientist,” with a smirk.    
  
Kuroo choked on his laugh, tugging Tsukishima down against his chest. 

 

Their kiss was fierce. Kuroo certainly didn’t hold back as smashed their lips together painfully. There was no finesse about it, none of the skill he’d demonstrated last night. Instead, he was driven by pure instinct and apparently that instinct didn’t care about being gently. Teeth nipped at his lip, biting deep enough to draw blood, and Tsukishima let out a muffled yelp of surprise. That yelp gave Kuroo to opening to push his tongue past his lips and tangle it with Tsukishima’s. 

 

He went completely boneless at the overt display of aggression from Kuroo as his lips were brutally claimed. It felt so good and he moaned, rolling his hips against Kuroo, his now hard cock pressing against the alpha’s. Kuroo jerked his hips up and broke the kiss, swearing. “I didn’t mean to do that.” 

 

“Instinct,” was all Tsukishima said as he sealed their lips together one more time. 

 

Finger groped behind him, pressing against his hole and he was surprised when they slipped in so easily. Kuroo seemed to be as well as he broke the kiss and looked over Tsukishima’s shoulder in wonder. “You’re slick. Not as much as last night, but enough.” 

 

“A-ah…maybe it’s your rut?” 

 

“Can you smell it?” 

 

Tsukishima leaned forward and pressed his nose directly against Kuroo’s gland. The alpha moaned as he breathed deeply. While earlier today the scent had made him boneless and feel safe, now there was a different scent to the sandalwood, making it sharper. His omega screamed for him to bear his neck to Kuroo and let him claim him. He fought that with all of his sanity and just nodded. “It’s there, but faint.” And thank everything under the moon for that, because if it had been any stronger Tsukishima might have held Kuroo’s head over his neck until the alpha bonded with him. 

 

“Huh,” was all Kuroo said as he pressed his fingers deeper. 

 

Tsukishima didn’t need much preparation, and soon he was sitting up and forward as Kuroo held his cock in one hand and placed the other on Tsukishima’s hip. He guided him down as gently as he could and Tsukishima sank onto it with a moan. 

 

_ Yes! _ his brain screamed as he took in that thick length. Kuroo was shaking by the time he was fully seated. 

 

“C-can I move?” Tsukishima didn’t trust his voice, so he nodded, and that was all it took. 

 

Kuroo thrust up into him and Tsukishima, for the first time, let his instincts actually take over. He rode Kuroo, placing his hands on his chests for leverage until the alpha sat up and wrapped his arms around him. Tsukishima twists his arms around his neck, drawing him closer and pressing Kuroo’s nose against his glands. Despite the suppressants, he could smell Kuroo now, smell them combined as the alpha breathed deeply. 

 

“Tsukki,” Kuroo moaned quietly as his knot began to inflate. Tsukishima dropped his hips down, taking it until he felt them lock together. The flood of warmth inside was enough to scatter his brain.  _ Mark me, _ his brain screamed while Kuroo used the flat of his tongue to press against the gland. He came with a shudder, his own heat flooding between them. 

 

Spent, Kuroo dropped back down and Tsukishima followed him, lying on top. He wanted to move to the side but was locked in place by the knot. Kuroo chuckled, but it sounded drunk. “It’s fine...you’re not too heavy,” he said as he hugged their bodies together. 

 

“Tch,” Tsukishima managed, though whether it was from the comment about his weight or the sticky residue cooling behind hi, he couldn’t tell. 

 

While the knot was still engaged, Kuroo’s hands wandered over his body, gently caressing his skin. He felt boneless again. Safe in the arms of his- in the arms of Kuroo. This was good. Nice. He closed his eyes and was nearly asleep when the knot receded, leaving him feeling empty. 

 

“Up for round two?” Kuroo asked with a smirk. 


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After helping Kuroo out with this rut, Tsukishima goes to bathe and ends up drawn into an uncomfortable discussion with the other omegas on his team.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies! I was able to get one more chapter out before my trip. This one was a little difficult to write because I wanted to explore the team omega dynamics. They're going to play a larger role in Tsukki's life coming up, what with Kuroo being in Tokyo, so I wanted to get some of that bonding in here. I hope you enjoy! Your comments and kudos motivate me! Thank you!

Kuroo knotted him two more times. After the last time they lay there together, with Tsukishima resting comfortably on Kuroo’s chest as the knot remained engaged. He was blissed out and completely comfortable with his nose pressed against Kuroo’s scent gland. Kuroo sighed, running his hands gently up and down Tsukishima’s back, and pressed gentle kisses against his cheek. 

 

Any other time Tsukishima would have hated the contact, but this...this was different. He had never felt so comfortable in his life. Not even with Yamaguchi. After taking another deep breath and holding Kuroo’s scent in his lungs, he released it on a gentle sigh. 

 

“Mmm,” Kuroo said, stretching languidly like a cat. It jostle Tsukishima from his position as the knot receded and Kuroo slipped from his body. He bit his lip to keep in the whine that had risen in his throat. “That was great.” 

 

Again, Kuroo sounded drunk. 

 

“Is that it?” 

 

“Of the rut?” Kuroo paused and stared into the distance as if looking at something and then nodded. “Yes. I think so. It’s fading, at least.”

 

“How is it fading so fast? You only knotted me three times?” 

 

“It’s the chemicals in our brains. The chemicals in your scent shifted when you were in heat, alerting every alpha that you were fertile. Because you asked me to help you through it, I was in close proximity. Those chemicals triggered my rut, which drives me to...um...mate with an omega until I get them pregnant.” Even in the dark Tsukishima could see his face flush. “Because your heat is over, and I knotted you, my body is sending out chemicals that it was a success and the rut is over. If you had been in a real heat, my rut would have triggered during it, and would have lasted until your heat was over. However it ended early, and there was a delay in my rut starting. So because you’re already finished, my body chemicals have switched back to normal.” 

 

“You really are a scientist,” Tsukishima murmured against his collarbone. 

 

“Told you I liked biology and chemistry.” 

 

They lay that way for several more minutes, Tsukishima basking in the warmth of Kuroo’s skin before he nudged him gently. “As much as I am really enjoying this, you should probably go back to your team.” 

 

Logically, Tsukishima knew he should. But he didn’t want to move. Moving meant leaving Kuroo, and with tomorrow being their last full day at the camp, the chances of having more time like this were slim to none. 

 

Not that Tsukishima  _ needed _ this. It just felt nice. He was positive these thoughts were an after effect of the sex, the rush of endorphins he felt from taking Kuroo’s knot several times. 

 

“You’re right. It’s not that late. They wouldn’t have noticed I’m missing.” 

 

“Great! So you won’t get in trouble.” 

 

“Tch. It’s annoying.” 

 

“I know. But it’s rules.” Kuroo shrugged and nearly dislodged Tsukishima. As much as he didn’t want to, he used it as an opportunity to stand up. Just leaving Kuroo’s side had him nearly whimpering. He bit his lip as he tugged on his clothes, blushing furiously at the slide of fluid down his leg. 

 

“I’m off to take a bath. Are you staying here all night?” 

 

“Yes. Coach Nekomata locked me in. He’d be suspicious if I got out now.” 

 

“Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow then.” 

 

“Goodnight, Tsukki.” 

 

Tsukishima slipped from the window and landed hard on the ground. He stumbled a moment before catching his bearings and headed for the dorms. In the distance he could still hear sounds coming from the gym, so despite not having a watch, he knew it wasn’t too late. 

 

When he arrived at the Karasuno dorm room, no one was present. He grabbed his night clothes and realized he’d left his shower supplies in the bathroom that afternoon. Making his way there, he was pleased, thinking he’d get some time alone to clean up and process everything that had happened. 

 

As soon as he opened the door, he was quickly disabused of that notion. 

 

Had it not been for the mess on his legs he would have turned right around and waited for later. As it was, he felt dirty and couldn’t wait any longer. Based on the scents, every omega on the team had chosen that moment to bathe. 

 

With a sigh he found his shower supplies, took a shower to clean himself off, and then joined the others in the baths. 

 

“Tsukishima!” Nishinoya called through he steam. “We thought you were still practicing with your alpha.” 

 

“He’s not my alpha.” 

 

“We would have invited you, but since tomorrow’s the last full day, we thought you’d want to spend more time with him.”

 

“For the last time Noya-san, he’s not my alpha. He just helped me through my heat.” 

 

Hinata breathed in deeply and turned scarlet. “Did you…um...just…you know…?” 

 

“Did I just what?” He snapped as he sank into the water. Sugawara’s eyes were focused on his skin like a laser and he sighed. “What?” 

 

“You just helped him through his rut, didn’t you?” 

 

Tsukishima felt the blood leave his face and then rush back with startling speed. “It’s no one’s business what we did.” He glanced down and saw love bites all over his chest. He sank lower into the water to cover them. He hadn’t even noticed Kuroo doing it. What if he had bit his scent glands? He reached up, alarmed. 

 

“It’s fine. No mark.” 

 

He breathed a sigh of relief. 

 

For once, Hinata was quiet, almost shy as he glanced at Tsukishima and down back down into the water. 

 

“What are you going to do for your next heat?” 

 

“What about it?” 

 

“Well,” Nishinoya started. “Kuroo lives in Tokyo. We live in Miyagi. It’s not  _ that _ far by train, but it’s not exactly cheap, either.” 

 

“I won’t need Kuroo. I’ll just go back to what I did before.” 

 

Both Nishinoya and Sugawara raised eyebrows and looked at each other. 

 

“What?” Tsukishima asked, narrowing his own eyes. 

 

“I don’t think you understand how difficult that’s going to be.” 

 

“Yeah,” Nishinoya chimed in after Sugawara. “Once you’ve had an alpha for your heat, going back to it alone is...pretty much impossible.” 

 

“I’m sure I can manage it.” 

 

Sugawara made a face. “Yeah, I thought so, too. Daichi was sick during one of my heats and wasn’t up for it. So I figured it would be fine. It’s just once, right?” He flushed and buried his face in his hands. “It was awful. It was like my body knew what it was missing and I just went crazy. My parents had to lock me in my room, and I tried to get out through the window, so they had to nail my window shut. I kept gouging at my own skin.” 

 

Tsukishima looked alarmed as Nishinoya nodded seriously, his eyes closed in thought. 

 

“I experienced something like that. Asahi couldn’t come over and I thought I was losing my mind. I don’t remember much of those four days. Just what my parents told me, and it wasn’t pretty.” 

 

Tsukishima felt distress rising at the thought of not having Kuroo for his heat. He didn’t know where it came from, but he felt it deep inside and he breathed heavily. Sugawara’s calming scent soon enveloped him and he relaxed. 

 

“How do you do that?” he asked, eye the oldest omega. 

 

“What? Oh, the calming thing?” Sugawara shrugged. “It takes practice. I have to be feeling calm when I do it, and then I focus on whoever is sending out distressed pheromones. It takes awhile to get it right, but it’s handy in calming down everyone.” 

 

“And that’s why you’re team mom!” Nishinoya laughed. 

 

Hinata had been silent this entire time, staring into the water. “Umm...what’s it like being with an alpha?” he asked out of nowhere. 

 

Tsukishima glanced at him and then turned back to the water. “I’m not talking about my personal-” 

 

“It’s  _ awesome _ !” Nishinoya exclaimed. “It makes your heats shorter and it feels so good. Much better than those stupid toys.” 

 

Hinata was scarlet and Tsukishima was briefly - just briefly, he swore - concerned that the other first year would pass out. 

 

“Toys?” 

 

All three of them turned to look at Hinata in alarm. 

 

“You...don’t have any heat toys?” Sugawara asked, concern radiating off of him. 

 

“No? My parents are both betas, and it’s not something we really talk about at home.”

 

“So are mine but...oh. My brother was the one that brought me what I needed,” Tsukishima said, rubbing the side of his face.

 

“Are you on suppressants?” Sugawara asked and Hinata nodded. 

 

“Oh, yes. My mom made sure she got those. I get my heat every three months.”

 

“Are they also birth control?” Nishinoya asked. “Because some of them aren’t.” 

 

“A-ah...I don’t think so. I mean it’s not like I’m with an alpha or anything!” Hinata sunk into the water, nearly covering his face. 

 

“Yeah, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. I mean…things happen.” Sugawara looked uncomfortable this time, and for the first time, Tsukishima could smell the calming pheromones from Nishinoya. It was a pleasant smell and though not directed at him, made him feel at ease as well. 

 

“You really should talk to your parents about switching over. It’s just better to be prepared. If you want, one of us can help you!” 

 

“Count me out,” Tsukishima said. 

 

“Stingyshima,” Hinata muttered. 

 

“It’s not like I’m expert either,” he sniped right back. “My brother was the one that got me what I needed.” 

 

Sugawara cut them off. “When is your next heat?” 

 

Hinata stopped and thought about it, counting. “About three weeks.” 

 

“How long do they usually last?” 

 

He made a face and covered his hands with his face. “Three or four days.” 

 

Sugawara let out a strange sound that sounded like a coo of comfort. He’d never heard it before and it was...weird. 

 

“And you have nothing to help you through it?” 

 

“No. My parents send my sister to stay at a friends house during it, and they make sure I get food and water, but that’s about it.” 

 

“Hinata, as your senpai, I take it upon myself to get you some heat toys as soon as we get back to Miyagi.”

 

“Because that’s not awkward,” Tsukishima muttered to himself as Nishinoya continued with his Buddha pose. 

 

“Umm...what...what about Kageyama…?” Hinata asked quietly. 

 

“I’m done,” Tsukishima said suddenly, climbing out of the bath. He didn’t want to know what came next. He knew more than he’d ever wanted to know about Sugawara’s and Nishinoya’s sex lives. It was bad enough they knew about his. He did not need to know where that conversation was going. 

 

“Tsukishima, wait,” Hinata said. The plaintive tone made him pause as he wrapped a dry towel around his waist. “How did you choose Kuroo-san? How did you know he was okay?” 

 

“Because I trusted him,” he said with a shrug. “That’s all I needed.” He left the room despite Sugawara calling for him to come back and made it to the locker room. He dressed in record time, not wanting to continue with the conversation. When he got back to their room, Yamaguchi and Kageyama were sitting on their beds, talking. 

 

“Tsukki!” Yamaguchi called. “How was blocking practice?” 

 

“It was fine,” he said as he removed his glasses, lay on his futon, and tried to close his eyes to sleep. He hated lying to his best friend, but he wasn’t getting into this with him. Not with Kageyama right there. Maybe when they got back to Miyagi. 


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The training camp is over and Tsukishima must head back to Miyagi, away from Kuroo. He swore he'd be fine with it, but he's finding it harder to leave than he intended.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I promise this story is not abandoned, nor will it be. I apologize for the long overdue update. While I was on my trip I wrote a spin-off for Nishinoya and Asahi (which I hope you'll read!) and then I got sick. By the time I got home, work, school, and like crashed around me depression settled in, and I found it hard to write, even though I wanted to. Today I finally got the motivation to write, and now I feel like I'm back. I already have the next chapter plotted, planned, and ready to go. 
> 
> For those who are still around, thank you for not giving up on me. For new readers, hello! Thank you for stopping by. 
> 
> There will be another AsaNoya one-shot at some point in the future as well as a DaiSuga piece. I will also be doing a short KageHina spin-off. It may be a one-shot or two-parter. Not sure yet. 
> 
> Anyway, here is the next chapter. Please enjoy! Comments and kudos are much appreciated!

Tsukishima woke the next day feeling uneasy. He couldn’t quite place why, but he felt off during breakfast and during their morning training. He knew they were leaving after lunch to make it back to Miyagi before it was too late, but he’d known that all week? So what was the problem? 

His focus was off during his games, and his teammates had had to save the ball in his place. His blocks with Asahi were off during their first three games before Coach Ukai barked at him to keep focused. He looked pissed, but then he always looked angry. Takeda sensei managed to calm him down and talked to him. Sugawara took the opportunity to pull him off the court. 

“What’s wrong?” 

“I can’t focus,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his head. “I’ve been...off...all day.” 

Sugawara looked at him with sympathy, and if it hadn’t been for their new connection, he would have been pissed off and walked away. Instead, he let soothing pheromones wash over him. It made him feel...settled. 

“Is it Kuroo?”

“Tch. No. Why would it be?” 

“Because we’re leaving in a few hours, and you won’t see him for awhile.”

“I don’t see why that’s a problem.” 

Sugawara sighed and sat on the bench as the game continued without them. “You’ve formed a bond with Kuroo, whether you like it or not, or intended to.” Tsukishima jerked his hand up to his scent gland and Sugawara shook his head. “Not a permanent bond. But...and emotional one.” 

He huffed in response. What a ridiculous suggestion. There was nothing emotional about what they’d done. It was just sex. An alpha helping an omega through his head, and then an omega reciprocating and helping an alpha through his rut. Basic biology. Nothing more.

“I’m sure you don’t believe me, but these things happen. Omegas get attached to their alphas-”

“Not my alpha,” came his automatic response, but Sugawara waved him off. 

“Your alpha or not, he was your first alpha. You’re going to have that connection. Your body instinctively knows him. How do you feel when you’re separated.” 

“I hardly notice,” Tsukishima lied, his face coloring. He knew, somehow, exactly where Kuroo was in the gymnasium at any given time, even if he didn’t breathe through his nose and blocked all of the scents. He felt his glance on his skin like the sun on a hot day. 

“Sure,” Sugawara said, not bothering to call him out on his lying. “Leaving is going to be really hard for you today.” He held up a hand at his protest. “Say what you want. Just...know that we’re here for you, okay? We’ll help you get through this?” 

Tsukishima knew who “we” was. It wasn’t the entire team. Everyone else was great, and Yamaguchi was his best friend, but they wouldn’t understand. He watched as Nishinoya through himself onto the ground to save a ball, likely bruising his body. At Hinata licking his lips and following the arch of the ball back to the other side. As much as he didn’t want to rely on anyone but himself, he knew that they would help him if he needed it. 

Glancing over at Nekoma’s court he caught Kuroo’s eye. The captain smiled at him, though it looked strained. He wondered if his rut hadn’t truly passed, or if he was going through the same thing Tsukishima was. 

Were alphas affected from a separation as badly as omegas were? He turned to ask Sugawara when Coach Ukai called for him to switch and get back on the court. 

The team did better, and Tsukishima rallied himself after his talk with Sugawara. He was able to keep focus on the game and help Asahi with blocking. They were getting stronger, more in sync, and Asahi complimented him quietly after they won a match again Ubugawa. 

The morning practice finished before Tsukishima knew it, and he wasn’t really ready for it to end. He was exhausted, sure, and ready for a break, but that break meant lunch, a little downtime, and then a long trip back to Miyagi. As his teammates cheered at the news of a barbecue and as much meat as they could eat, he glanced over at Nekoma. Kuroo was in a huddle with his team, likely praising them the same way Daichi did after their matches. He shook his head and follows his team outside. 

This was ridiculous. He had to get Kuroo out of his head. It wouldn’t do any good to keep looking out for him when he wouldn’t be in Miyagi. 

“You okay?” Yamaguchi asked. 

Tsukishima hadn’t even noticed him approach, and that annoyed him. He was always alert and aware of his surroundings. Leaving would be good. 

“I’m fine,” he said. 

The meat was already cooking outside, courtesy of the team captains and some other helpers, and everyone rushed to grab their food. He barely kept from rolling his eyes and waited patiently for his turn. He grabbed enough to satisfy him and not be a glutton like Nishinoya and Tanaka, who were hovering over one of the grills, and took his plate to a quiet, shady spot on the hill. 

As he ate, he watched the teams interact. While everyone had eaten with their own teams in the cafeteria, as if they was some unspoken rule, here they mingled. New friends sat with each other, captains conversed, coaches and teachers joked with each other while their students enjoyed their final hours together. 

So much had happened over the course of the camp. Tsukishima finished his food and lay back, staring up at the piercing blue sky. So much had changed. Somehow he’d come to care, just a little bit, about volleyball. Yamaguchi had stood up to him and called him out for his behavior the first time in their friendship. He grinned at that. Who knew Yamaguchi had the strength to do that? Maybe volleyball had changed him, too. He’d seemed to grow more confident in himself. And he’d seen the way he kept looking at Yachi. Maybe he’d get the courage to ask her out after they got back to Miyagi. 

And then there was everything with Kuroo. He hadn’t intended to let himself be scent-marked by an alpha. He hadn’t intended to have sex. It just wasn’t something that had been on his radar before, but circumstances had led him to make that decision, and he didn’t regret it. Though, thinking about it, he was glad his parents were betas and wouldn’t be able to smell the change in his scent. He only hoped his brother would be discreet about it, like had with the suppressants. 

Soft footsteps approached and soon a familiar face was leaning over him, blocking out the sun and the blue sky. 

“Tsukki. You’re spending the last hour here alone? Don’t you want to hang out with us?” Kuroo asked. 

Tsukishima sat up as Kuroo sat down. “It was quieter up here.” 

“Thinking?” 

“I guess.” 

Kuroo handed him a slice of watermelon and he took it with a quiet thanks. “What about?” 

He took a bite and swallowed, wondering what he should tell him. He didn’t owe him the complete truth, did he? He wasn’t his alpha. He didn’t feel compelled to tell him, per say, but he did want to talk. “About everything that’s happened.” 

“Do you...regret anything?” 

“No.” 

Kuroo breathed a sigh of relief and laughed awkwardly. “Well that’s good because I don’t, and if you did, I’d feel guilty.” 

“Why?” 

“Because I would be part of that regret.” 

Tsukishima flushed. “I made a decision out of necessity, but it was the right decision. So I wouldn’t regret it.” 

“That’s good to know.” 

They lapsed into silence as their teammates and friends continued to eat and banter, some chasing others as the last of the meat was stolen and more watermelons were brought out. 

“So...when you go back to Miyagi…”

“Yes?” 

“I mean...not that it’s any of my business I guess, but...how are you going to handle your heats?” 

Tsukishima flushed and distracted himself with the watermelon as he murmured, “Alone, same as before.” 

He wasn’t sure what Kuroo’s reaction meant, but he seemed to inflate a little, like someone putting more air in a volleyball. Kuroo picked at the grass and shredded some blades. 

“Can I see your cell phone?” 

Tsukishima pulled it out of his pocket and handed it over, curious. Kuroo swiped through the contacts, added his number, and then sent a message to himself. His own phone pinged in his pocket. 

“There. Now you have my number.” 

“Why?” 

“In case you want to talk. Or...I want to talk to you.” 

“You’d want to talk to me after this?” 

“Well, yeah. I like you, Tsukki.” That made sense. But Kuroo wasn’t done. “And...maybe if you need help with your heat, I could...I could come to visit.” 

Tsukishima felt the heat rise up his neck and into his face. He ducked his head into his arms and stared at the ground. This was ridiculous. Kuroo’s scent thickened and he breathed it in deeply. His stomach clenched at the thought of spending another heat with Kuroo. 

“Tokyo is far from Miyagi.” 

“Trains are only a few hours.” 

“It’s not cheap.” 

“It’s not expensive, either.” 

He cleared his throat and looked at Kuroo, refusing to bare his neck to Kuroo as an offering. “You’d do that? For me?” 

Kuroo nodded. “Yeah. I would.” 

“Tch. It’ be a waste of money.” 

Kuroo grinned and nudged him with a shoulder. “I don’t think it’d be a waste at all.” 

“I don’t know. Maybe. I doubt it, so don’t get your hopes up.” 

“Right.” 

“I’m serious.” 

“I know you are. You’re always serious. Too serious, you know. You should lighten up, Tsukki. Have fun.” 

“I had fun here.” 

“Did you?” 

He didn’t have to think about it. “Yes, I did, a little.” 

Kuroo seemed pleased with his response, but if he was going to say anything he was interrupted by Yamaguchi. “TSUKKIIIII!! WE HAVE TO PACK!” he yelled from the base of the hill. 

Tsukishima reluctantly pushed himself up and brushed off his shorts. Kuroo did the same. “I better go,” he said obviously. 

“I’ll come see you before you leave,” Kuroo added and Tsukishima nodded before carrying his plate down the hill and disposing of it. 

He followed Yamaguchi to their team’s room and silently they started to pack their things. Tsukishima didn’t take long as he keep his things together, but Hinata and Nishinoya scrambled around the room, collecting errant articles of clothing. 

“Are you okay?” Yamaguchi asked. 

“I wish people would stop asking me that,” he said, not intending for it to come out so harsh, but Yamaguchi didn’t flinch. 

“I was really worried about you. You know, before. But I’m glad you and Kuroo-” Tsukishima cut him off. 

“Please don’t make this more awkward than it needs to be.” 

Yamaguchi had the decency to look embarrassed and they finished packing in silence. 

Together the team left their room and headed out to load their bags onto the bus. The Tokyo teams were staying for a few more matches this afternoon, but some of the players had gathered for a last goodbye.

Hinata ran over to Nekoma’s setter, Kenma, and excitedly chattered with him as they exchanged information. He saw Akaashi, Bokuto, and Kuroo standing off to the side and approached before Bokuto could scream out his name. 

“Tsukki! We’ll miss you!” Bokuto threw his arms around him in a strangling hug. 

“Bokuto-san, please let go of Tsukishima-kun.” 

He did as Akaashi asked immediately but pouted. “I’m glad we were able to practice with you, Tsukishima,” Akaashi said, keeping a hand on Bokuto’s arm. 

“Thank you for letting me practice with you. It...helped,” he admitted. 

Bokuto grinned. “You’ll have your moment someday, and then you’ll never want to give up volleyball. I can feel it.” 

Kuroo cleared his throat and Akaashi tugged on Bokuto’s arm. 

“Let’s go say goodbye to Hinata.” 

“Akaaaashi, I wasn’t done!” 

“You’ll talk to him some other time.” 

“But Akaaaashiiiiii!” 

Tsukishima watched as the ace was dragged away by his setter and couldn’t help the faint smile that twitched at his lips. 

“Tsukki,” Kuroo started. He glanced around and took his hand before dragging him back towards the school, just out of sight of everyone but not out of earshot. 

When he thought back on it later, Tsukishima didn’t know who started it, but it didn’t matter. Their lips met in a hurried, bruising crush. He wouldn’t say he got weak in the knees, but he appreciated the support of Kuroo’s arms around his waist. He smelled and tasted so good, and even though he convinced himself he didn’t need Kuroo again, he knew if the opportunity arose, he would take it. They parted for breath sometime later and panted. Kuroo’s lips were red, and he was sure his own were as well. Kuroo buried his face against his neck and licked at his scent gland. Tsukishima bared his neck, giving him better access. Even though he wasn’t in heat, his omega self was urging him to let Kuroo mark him permanently, but he tamped that down. Instead, he buried his nose against Kuroo’s gland and inhaled deeply, keeping the scent in his lungs as long as he could before he tasted him as well. 

“Tsukki!” Yamaguchi called from somewhere behind him, likely near the bus. He reluctantly pulled away from Kuroo and stared at him as the alpha panted. 

“I have to go.” 

“I know. I wish you didn’t.” 

“But the bus…”

Kuroo laughed awkwardly and took a step back, rubbing the back of his head, further messing up his already bedhead hair. “I know, I know. Just...text me, okay?” 

“I can do that,” he replied before backing up. He took one last look at Kuroo before turning and heading towards the bus. 

Most of his teammates had already boarded, Yamaguchi and Sugawara stood just outside the door, waiting for him. Both look sympathetic, but he didn’t want it. He could do this. It was fine. He boarded the bus and took a seat in the back near a window. Yamaguchi sat down next to him, and Sugawara sat two rows ahead next to Daichi. 

When he looked outside the window he watched Kuroo as he joined Bokuto, Akaashi, some of their teammates, and the two captains from Ubugawa and Shinzen. He waved at Kuroo as the bus pulled out of the parking lot, and even though he swore he would be fine, he felt a sharp pang in his chest. 

He wasn’t aware of any sound he made, but he must have done something because Yamaguchi pressed into his side, offering a warm, solid weight, and the comforting, calming scents of both Sugawara and Nishinoya flooded through him.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tsukishima is back home and horrified to see his brother has come to visit. There's no keeping his activities a secret from his omega brother, so he steels himself for the confrontation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks so much for the comments! It made me feel good to be back! Here's the next chapter, and the one after it is halfway written. I promise it will be longer. It involves plotting omegas bonding, an embarrassed Tsukishima and Hinata, and a whole boatload of awkward, and hopefully funny, moments.

The bus arrived back at the school later that evening. Before they were allowed to leave, the team met in the gymnasium to discuss the plans for the following week. They were being given a day off to recover, and then it was back to practice. 

 

Yamaguchi walked with him on the way home as he always did. He tried to listen to his friend’s excited chatter, but he couldn’t concentrate on it. He grunted when he was supposed to, but he had no idea if he was agreeing to something or what. He was distracted by thoughts of a bed-headed, obnoxious, scheming captain. A captain whose taste still lingered on his tongue and whose scent was still trapped in his lungs. 

 

They reached the corner where Yamaguchi went his own way and said goodbye with tentative plans to hang out the next day. Tsukishima put his headphones on and listened to music for the rest of the walk home, trying to distract himself from these thoughts. 

 

He didn’t  _ need _ an alpha. He was an omega, but he didn’t need anyone to take care of him, protect him, or whatever. What they’d done had only been out of necessity so that he wouldn’t miss the entire training camp. And when he’d returned the favor, well, that was just being conscientious. It would have been wrong to leave Kuroo to suffer through a rut alone when he’d agreed to help Tsukishima through his heat. And if it felt great, well, sex was supposed to, right? Sugawara’s idea of them having an emotional connection was just wrong. He didn’t get emotionally attached to people, especially not someone he barely knew. Sex was just sex. They’d done it, it dealt with their biology, and they moved on. Everyone else did it. People had sex with others all the time and it didn’t always mean anything. Look at his own brother. His brother had an alpha to help him, and they weren’t together. So if Akiteru could do it, so could he. 

 

“ _ Tadaima _ ,” he murmured as he entered the house, slipping of his street shoes and replacing them with his slippers. He pulled his headphones off and breathed in, happy to be home, until he caught the scent of his brother.    
  
“ _ Okaeri _ , Kei. How was your trip?” his mother called from the living room. 

 

“It was fine.”

 

“Just fine?” his brother laughed. Tsukishima wanted to crawl into his room and hide. He didn’t think he’d be facing his brother so soon after the training camp, not when the scent change would be the strongest on him. 

 

He tried to slip by the living room but his mother stopped him. “Akiteru came over for dinner. He wanted to hear about your time in Tokyo and the other teams.” 

 

“I’m not that hungry,” he muttered, unable to look his brother in the face. He could tell the moment his brother had caught his changed scent, though, as he saw him stiffen out of the corner of his eye. 

 

His mother laughed. “You always say that. Dinner will be ready in half an hour. Why don’t you go throw your clothes in the wash and bathe.” 

 

Tsukishima nodded and headed up the stairs. He heard his brother excuse himself and the heavy creak of footsteps followed him. He didn’t bother shutting his door and just tossed his bag on the floor. The door shut quietly behind his brother. 

 

“Kei.” 

 

“Please don’t tell Mom and Dad.” 

 

“Please tell me you consented to this.” 

 

“Of course I did,” he huffed. “Do you think I’m stupid?” 

 

“Consent when you’re in heat is not really consent. Your body is telling you what it needs and you make decisions you wouldn’t-” 

 

“I knew my heat was coming and I found an alpha I trusted and asked him to help me. He agreed. You were right. It made it more bearable and it passed faster.” 

 

“Was it someone from your team?” 

 

“No. He lives in Tokyo.” 

 

Akiteru groaned. “Tokyo?” 

 

“It was a one time thing. My heat wasn’t even supposed to come yet, but Sugawara said it was a forced heat from being around so many stinking alpha pheromones. If I didn’t ask him for help, I would have been out of practice for the rest of the camp. It wasn’t an option.” 

 

“There are always options.” 

 

Tsukishima glared at his brother. “Weren’t you the one telling me it was good to get an alpha to scent mark me? So that I’d be left alone? Well now I will.” 

 

“Until your next heat.”

 

“Yeah, until then, but it gives me some time with alphas off my back and without having to borrow Azumane-san’s jacket. Look, whatever you’re thinking you can forget about. I  _ chose _ Kuroo-san and gave him the option to help me. He did. He was careful and didn’t permanently mark me. We aren’t bonded.” To prove his point he pulled the collar of his jersey away from his neck to show his unmarked scent gland. 

 

His brother was mercifully silent for awhile as he unpacked his bag and put them in a basket to wash. 

 

“Why did you choose him?”

 

“That’s a personal question. I’m not answering that.” 

 

“I’m your brother.” 

 

“You don’t get to know all the details about my life.” 

 

“I just want to make sure you’re safe, Kei. If you’d been marked by some alpha…”

 

Tsukishima spun around to face his brother, finger outstretched and ready to poke him. “I chose Kuroo so I  _ wouldn’t _ be marked by another alpha. I’d met Kuroo before, here, when Nekoma came to practice. He helped me with blocking practice at the training camp. The other teams were filled with alpha that looked at me like I was meat, but he never did. He treated me like a person, not an omega. There are omega on his team and none of them are scent marked. He could have done that with one of his teammates, but he didn’t. So I chose him and it worked out.” 

 

“And what if he had said no?” 

 

“I would have asked Takeda sensei to lock me in the infirmary until it passed, like he had done when his rut was triggered.” 

 

Akiteru groaned again. “You triggered his rut?” 

 

“I guess. But he didn’t ask for help.” 

 

“He didn’t?” His brother’s eyes were wide as if he didn’t quite believe it. 

 

“No, he didn’t.” 

 

He left the room, carrying his laundry and Akiteru followed him to the bathroom. “But you helped him anyway, didn’t you?” 

 

“So what if I did? He did me a favor. It was only right that I returned it.”  

 

His brother sighed as he put his clothes in the washing machine and stepped back. “Look, if you decide to continue seeing each other for your heats, you can use my place. I don’t think Mom and Dad will take it well if you brought someone home.” 

 

“And they’d be fine with me going to your place?” 

 

“We can just tell them it’s better for you there since I’m an omega and I’m better equipped to deal with it. It’ll spare them the embarrassment.” 

 

“I’m not planning on doing it again.” 

 

“Okay, fine, but  _ if  _ you do, the offer is there.” 

 

“Thanks.” 

 

He wouldn’t be using his brother’s apartment for his heats. He was fine at home, surrounded by his things. 

 

His brother left the bathroom and he quickly bathed. He wanted to linger in the water, but his mother called for him to come down. 

 

Well, at least his brother knew and he’d gotten it out of the way. Waiting would have made it worse in the long run because he would have wanted to know why he didn’t tell him. And he could trust his brother to keep his secret. The less his parents knew, the better. 

 

During dinner they peppered him with questions, asking about the other teams and whether or not he’d made friends. He shrugged and told them it was fine, that he’d had a few players from two other teams help him out, and they seemed happy he’d made new friends. A quick glance at Akiteru saw his brother studiously staring at his food. 

 

When dinner was over, he told them he was tired and headed back upstairs. After transferring his clothes to the dryer, he changed for bed and crawled beneath his own sheets. A quick check of his phone showed one new message from Kuroo. 

 

Skin heating, he unlocked his phone and pulled up his messages.

 

**Kuroo: Hey Tsukki. I know it’s probably too early to text you, but I couldn’t help it. Just wanted to make sure you got back to Miyagi all right. You don’t have to respond if you don’t want to. Just checking in I guess. And that sounds weird.**

 

Tsukishima snorted and couldn’t help the small smile on his face. He read the message again and thought he’d put Kuroo out of his misery. 

 

**I’m home and fine. Thanks for asking. Good night, Kuroo-san.**

 

He pressed send and turned his phone off. Without practice he wouldn’t need an alarm and just wanted to sleep in. He rarely had the opportunity to, and after the events of the previous week, he needed it. 


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Karasuno omegas spend some time together "bonding." At least that's what Nishinoya and Sugawara call it. Tsukishima thinks it's more akin to torture. Hinata is along for the embarrassing ride.

His plans with Yamaguchi were cancelled the next day, against his will, when Sugawara showed up at his house with Nishinoya and Hinata in tow. 

 

“...what do you want?” he asked as soon as he saw them standing just inside the door. Well, Sugawara and Hinata stood. Nishinoya bounced on his toes. 

 

“We were going out shopping. We wanted to invite you to come with us,” Sugawara said.   
  
“It’s for Hinata,” Nishinoya added, and the red-head flushed. 

 

“No,” he said, turning to go back up to his room. 

 

His mother, who had no idea what was about to happen, of course, insisted he go out with his friends. “It’s so nice to meet more of your friends, Kei! Go out and have fun with them.” 

 

“I don’t want to. I was supposed to meet with Yamaguchi.”

 

“I’m sure he’ll meet up with you at the shops. Go.”

 

Nishinoya snickered into his hand. 

 

“But-” 

 

“I’m not asking, Kei.” His mother smiled cheerfully but her tone held an aggression he wasn’t aware she could carry. He shivered and obediently went upstairs to grab his wallet and cell phone and then slipped on his shoes downstairs while his teammates waited outside. 

 

“I don’t want to be a part of whatever you’re planning,” he said as he texted Yamaguchi about the change of plans. 

 

“You don’t even know what it is!” 

 

“Considering it’s you three, I can only imagine that it has to do with what we talked about during camp.” 

 

“You got it!” Nishinoya yelled, jumping ahead of them. He stopped and spun around. “We’re going to help Hinata out.” 

 

Tsukishima turned to head back home but Sugawara put a hand on his shoulder and stopped him. 

 

“Consider it...bonding time. With other omegas.” 

 

“I’d rather not. I don’t need that.” 

 

“Didn’t you read the book you borrowed?” 

 

“Yeah, most of it.” 

 

“Then you should know this is normal.” 

 

Tsukishima huffed. Normal for omegas or not, he wasn’t the typical omega and he didn’t want to deal with this stereotypical bullshit. 

 

“Tsukishima, please?” Hinata asked, his face on fire. “I’d honestly feel better if you went, too.” 

 

He sighed. Hinata was a pain in the ass, always loud and in the way. But when he made that face, the concern he’d had weeks ago about adult alphas going after him...he softened inside. 

 

Just a little. 

 

“Fine.” 

 

“Great!” Sugawara clapped him on the back and nearly sent him sprawling. “It’s settled then. I went to Hinata’s house this morning and talked to his parents. Well, his mother. She’s going to switch his suppressants so he’ll be on birth control, too.” 

 

Tsukishima could only imagine how that conversation had gone, but he was glad he’d had no part in it. It was enough to have a brother who had his back. 

 

Hinata whined and made a face. “I still don’t see why I need it.” 

 

“It’s just a precaution.” 

 

“Besides, look at Tsukishima. He saw Kuroo and WHAM! Straight to fucking.” 

 

“Oh my god,” Tsukishima muttered, burying his face in his hands. “That is  _ not  _ what happend.” 

 

“Nishinoya, stop.” 

 

“Okay,  _ mom _ ,” Nishinoya laughed. “It’s not like it’s something to be ashamed of. I mean I pretty much did that with Asahi. Although it took a little longer to get him into bed.” 

 

“I don’t think Azumane-san would appreciate you telling us this,” Tsukishima said, but Hinata hung on his every word. 

 

“And it really helped?” Hinata asked. “Making them shorter?” 

 

“Yep!” 

 

“It does,” Sugawara added. When the three of them turned to Tsukishima for confirmation, he stared at the ground and gave them a shrug. 

 

“I guess it did.” If he closed his eyes and thought about it hard enough, he could still feel Kuroo’s hands around his hips. He shivered. 

 

Nishinoya made a noise and when he opened his eyes, he saw the second year grinning at him as if he could read his mind. 

 

“It was just a one time thing, though. He lives in Tokyo and I’m here.” 

 

“You act like trains don’t exist.” 

 

Tsukishima just rolled his eyes, glad that the streets were mostly deserted on their way into town. 

 

“All three of you smell different. I know it’s the scent thing, but I don’t get it.” 

 

“When you’re with an alpha during your heat, they can scent mark you. It’s not permanent, like a bonding, but your scents mix together until the next heat or rut passes. If you don’t do anything again, the heat or rut literally sweats the scent away and you’re back to your own scent.” 

 

“And it keeps other alphas away?” 

 

“Yes,” Nishinoya nodded. “They don’t want to risk a fight with another alpha over a claimed omega.” 

 

“It’s archaic, alpha posturing,” Tsukishima muttered. “As if we’re property.” 

 

“We’re not. But...it’s instinct.” 

 

“Instinct based on the idea that we belonged to alphas a long time ago.” 

 

“Maybe, but we’re beyond that. Besides, omegas have their own things, too. You read that.” 

 

And he had. It’s what made him feel better about the change in his thinking and sudden concern for Hinata. Even if it was annoying. 

 

“Since I’ve been with Asahi, I haven’t had a single alpha approach me.” 

 

“Me neither,” Sugawara said. Tsukishima wouldn’t know for awhile, but he supposed that would be the case for him. 

 

Hinata seemed fascinated by everything, and he kept silent as they continued arguing the finer points of being an omega. Tsukishima pointedly did not participate in the discussion. When they reached the store they were apparently looking for, Tsukishima wanted to crawl into a hole and call Yamaguchi to save him. 

 

He’d never been inside The Enlightened Omega before, and he’d never thought he would have need to. When he thought he was a beta, it had been one of those stores that catered to a group he wasn’t a part of, and he had no desire to see what was inside. The name sounded ridiculous, kind of like a new age thing, but the outside was unobtrusive enough. 

 

“Come on,” Nishinoya said, stepping inside as the doors slid open, allowing them to pass. 

 

Once inside, Tsukishima felt strangely at ease. When he breathed in, he could smell calming pheromones, though they seemed manufactured. They completely saturated the place. Either someone had chemicals to make it so calming or the owner of the shop was constantly reassuring embarrassed omegas. The lights were bright enough to see, but not blinding like in most stores. Quiet, calming music played in the background. Even Nishinoya had calmed down. His incessant chatter ceased and his posture relaxed. 

 

The entryway of the store had a curved entrance that they walked through to enter the store proper. It beeped as they passed under it and Sugawara smiled at Tsukishima’s questioning look. “Omegas and betas only in the store. It can sense alpha pheromones and alerts the manager.” 

 

Somehow that set Tsukishima at ease. Knowing no one else would really come in made this somewhat more bearable. 

 

Once inside the store, however, he remembered what exactly they were there for and he flushed. Whatever he looked like, though, was nothing compared to Hinata. He was brighter than his hair and sending off the most distressing scent. Tsukishima covered his nose and mouth with his hand. Almost instantly an older omega hurried over. 

 

“There’s no need to be anxious,” she cooed, smiling at Hinata. “We’re all omega in here right now.” A wave of calm settled over him and Tsukishima registered that the scent in the store  _ was _ hers. She just produced it at a high quantity. “How can I help you boys?” 

 

“Our friend here doesn’t have anything to help with his heats. He’s on suppressants, but his parents are beta and he’s the oldest,” Sugawara said, instantly taking over. 

 

The woman clucked and fussed over Hinata. “Have you just presented?” 

 

“No, I did a while ago,” he said, calmer now. “It’s been a few years.” 

 

“You poor thing,” she said.

 

“He just presented, though,” Hinata said, and Tsukishima wanted to strangle him. 

 

The woman glanced over at him, and up, and she seemed momentarily startled. “Oh, but it seems you’ve gotten that taken care of.” 

 

“For now,” he murmured and offered a vague shrug. 

 

Both Sugawara and Nishinoya looked at him, then each other, and grinned. 

 

_ Shit _ . 

 

“Well, feel free to look around. I won’t hover, but if you have any questions, please let me know. I’m happy to help.” 

 

Sugawara thanked her as Nishinoya dragged Hinata deeper into the store. It was laid out simply, with clothing in the front - though why clothing had to be in a store for - oh. He stared at the flowing shirts and his cheeks burned.

 

“Yeah. The first time I came here I’d forgotten about that part of our biology. It’s...well, I guess it’s something to get used to, right?” 

 

“Not gonna happen.” 

 

“Don’t want kids?” 

 

“I thought I was a beta.” 

 

Sugawara smiled faintly. “Well, no one said anyone has to have kids. Besides. We’re in high school.” 

 

Tsukishima followed him past the pregnancy clothing, curiosity burning through him. Did Sugawara want kids? With Daichi? He shouldn’t ask. That was too personal. He bit the inside of his bottom lip to remind himself to keep silent. 

 

At the back of the store in a smaller alcove, Nishinoya stood next to Hinata, who had buried his face in his arms. The shelves were recessed so that the contents weren’t visible from everywhere in the store, but from this close he could see the boxed, alpha sized dildoes with knots. Some were inflatable, some were already fully inflated. His pulse raced. The things his brother had given him had been okay, but they’d never compare to the real thing. 

 

“You don’t have  _ anything _ at all?” Nishinoya asked, still baffled. “How did you make it through the years?” 

 

“M-my fingers,” Hinata whispered. 

 

“You poor thing,” the libero said, eying the different boxes. He hummed in thought and plucked one of the shelf. “It’s a matter of taste. Do you want one with a knot already popped, or one you can inflate yourself?” 

 

Tsukishima managed to catch Hinata as he wobbled backwards. 

 

“This is so embarrassing,” his fellow first year muttered. 

 

“Tell me about it,” Tsukishima agreed. 

 

“Tsukishima, what do you use?” 

 

“I’m not discussing what happens during my heats.” 

 

“Not like we don’t already know,” Nishinoya smirked. 

 

Sugawara shook his head. “Okay, that’s enough. We’re here to help Hinata, not make fun of Tsukishima. My first one already had the knot inflated. It’s easier to deal with the first few times.” 

 

“Mine, too. So we’ll go with that. Smaller?” 

 

“Probably for the best?” 

 

“Does it hurt?” 

 

“No,” the three of them answered at once, and Tsukishima shrugged when they looked at him. He could answer that honestly at least. 

 

They picked out one that flustered Hinata but didn’t make him flail as much. They moved on to another section, and Tsukishima eyed the leather collars. “What are those for?” 

 

“To prevent an alpha from marking you during heat. I had to get one after my first heat with Asahi. Not that  _ I  _ minded, but he would have hated himself. You wouldn’t think it, but he gets really aggressive when he’s in rut.” 

 

File under things he didn’t need to know. 

 

“I’ve never needed one with Daichi. He’s very careful. We should get one for you, Tsukishima.”

 

“I don’t need a collar.”

 

“Considering the marks Kuroo left on your arm? Better safe than sorry.” 

 

He wanted the argue against it, but before he knew what was happening, Nishinoya was putting different color leather collars up to his neck, making noises as he did so. Hinata watched with curiosity, his eyes wide. 

 

“I think plain black looks good on you.”

 

“Does it matter what it looks like?”

 

“Don’t want to look good for your alpha?” 

 

Tsukishima smacked the collar from Nishinoya’s hand. “He’s  _ not _ my  _ alpha. _ ”

 

Undeterred, Nishinoya stooped and added the collar to the small pile with Hinata’s toy. Apparently satisfied with their mission, they trudged up to the register. Tsukishima wanted to be anywhere else, but he noticed as the libero’s eyes flickered to the male omega clothing and then looked down in apparent guilt. 

 

Did he  _ want kids? _

 

Since presenting as omega, it was the one thing Tsukishima refused to think about. Even his brother didn’t talk about it with him beyond telling him his suppressants were also birth control. He couldn’t imagine being a parent at all let alone the carrier parent. He shuddered thinking about it.

 

Nope. Not for him. 

 

The owner of the shop rang them up without commentary and Tsukishima was grateful for that. She put the items in two separate, discreet bags. She bowed to them slightly and welcomed them back anytime. 

 

Though he was sure he wouldn’t be back, Nishinoya and Sugawara seemed like they frequented the place at least occasionally. 

 

“See? That wasn’t so bad,” Nishinoya said, nudging his side. If it was supposed to move him, it didn’t. He huffed and clutched the bag tightly in his hand. He’d have to bury it in the bag of supplies his brother had given him. Just in case. 

 

“It was bad enough.” 

 

“So...will this make my heats shorter?” Hinata asked, gesturing to the bag. 

 

“No. Only an alpha can do that. But it will make it a little easier for stand.” 

 

His shoulders slumped. “I don’t want to miss four days of practice.” 

 

“So ask Kageyama for help,” Nishinoya shrugged. 

 

Nope. Not what he wanted to hear. He dug out his phone and all but begged Yamaguchi to meet him at his house. 

 

“I need to go. Yamaguchi is at my house,” he lied. 

 

“Aww, we were having so much fun.”

 

“Not me,” he said, shooting a glare at Nishinoya. He picked up his pace and said goodbye to his teammates, turning down his street as they passed to go who knew where else. They waved to him and he barely managed to keep himself from an all out sprint. 

 

He was ready to go back to bed and pretend the day never happened. 


End file.
